


New Recruits

by ZVArmy



Category: Professional Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-09
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-10-24 22:24:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 77,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17712758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZVArmy/pseuds/ZVArmy
Summary: Sonya Deville is one of a group of ten new recruits signed to NXT. Follow her as she tries to make a success of her shot at a wrestling career, possibly finding love along the way.





	1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This story is very slightly AU in that I've changed the ages of some of the characters. Regular readers of my work might also spot some familiar returning faces._

* * *

The WWE Performance Centre didn't look like anything special at all from the outside. In fact it looked like one of the hundreds of thousands of characterless industrial units across America. Sonya Deville knew, however, that inside the bland-looking building was the most state of the art wrestling academy the world had ever seen.

Stopping for a second before entering the facility, Sonya took a deep breath. She was literally moments away from starting a life-changing experience. Having recently signed a developmental contract with WWE, she was now assigned to NXT, and was reporting for her first day of training.

Ahead of time, Sonya had been told that she would be part of a group of five men and five women, all new recruits who were starting out with WWE on the same day. Although she had no idea who any of the others were going to be, she hoped that she would come into the process with a bit of an advantage over at least some of them thanks to the fact that she had experience as an actress, and as an MMA fighter.

Ready to begin the biggest opportunity of her life, Sonya walked through the door into the Performance Centre, carrying a kitbag over her shoulder. A small sign outside had directed new recruits through a door in the side of the building, rather than through the main entrance. She found herself entering the main training hall of the building, where seven wrestling rings were set up.

The group of her fellow new recruits were standing near to the closest of the rings. Sonya counted three men and two women who had arrived before her. At least she wasn't last to show up, she thought. She recognised two of the three staff members who were currently talking to the group: Matt Bloom, NXT's Head Coach, and Paige, the Assistant Head Coach who was in charge of training NXT's women.

Sonya approached the new recruits and immediately felt somewhat downcast. The first person who greeted her was a truly stunning blonde woman with a perfect body, including huge boobs, and a gorgeous face. Her appearance put Sonya totally to shame, in her mind.

"Hi. Mandy," the woman offered, introducing herself with a smile.

"Hi. I'm Sonya," she replied, returning the gesture. "So, do you have any wrestling experience?" she asked, trying to break the ice. It was no secret that WWE were starting to recruit people with no experience in the business, as well as snapping up wrestlers from the independent circuit.

"Nope," Mandy said. "I'm a bodybuilder and a model. How about you?"

"Actress and MMA fighter," Sonya reported. "No wrestling experience at all. I'm looking forward to learning. I assume you don't know anyone else here?"

"No, but I was talking to those three guys over there," Mandy said, gesturing with her head towards three men who were talking to Coach Bloom. "Roman, Seth and Dean. They're all wrestlers. At least, I think they are. Seth said he was."

That left only one of the recruits who had arrived so far without a name, as far as Sonya was concerned. A tall blonde woman was talking to Paige and the other female coach. Never one to act like a shrinking violet, she decided to go over and introduce herself.

As Sonya approached, Paige saw her coming and gave her a welcoming smile. "Morning. Your name?"

"Sonya Deville. Nice to meet you," she said, accepting a handshake.

"Good to meet you. I'm Paige. I'm in charge of training the women in NXT." She gestured to the attractive woman with long dark hair standing beside her, wearing a coach's t-shirt. "This is Coach Purrazzo. You'll get to know her well, as she'll be your primary trainer."

"Deonna," Purrazzo said warmly as another handshake was exchanged. "Nice to meet you, Sonya."

Lastly, the other new recruit introduced herself as Charlotte Flair. Although she made no claim to know all that much about WWE, Sonya figured she would have had to have lived under a rock for that surname not to mean anything to her in connection to wrestling. Ric Flair was one of the biggest names of all time. "Any relation?" she asked after introducing herself.

"Ric's my dad," Charlotte confirmed.

Well, you're in for a rough time, Sonya thought. Personally, she wasn't one to judge people and despised bullying. But that didn't mean she didn't understand how other people would act. They would assume Charlotte had used her family name to get herself this opportunity, if her father hadn't outright done it for her.

"Nice," Sonya said, hiding her thoughts behind a smile. "I guess you have a lot more experience in wrestling than the rest of us, then?"

Charlotte laughed self-consciously. "Quite the opposite. I see why you would expect that, but the truth is that I've never watched much wrestling, and I've never had a match or even a training session before. I'm here because I need a fresh start in my life, for a lot of reasons."

"Girl, same," Sonya said. She was beyond glad to be moving to Florida, away from her cockroach infested apartment in LA. At the time, moving there to train as an MMA fighter had been a dream come true. It just hadn't worked out the way she had planned, and she was now all but broke after the amount it had cost to drive all the way across the country to Orlando. She didn't have a place to stay other than in her car, and even then would barely have enough money to feed herself until she got her first WWE paycheck, when things would hopefully start to pick up for her.

Mandy walked over to join them. Walking with her were the final two female recruits of this particular intake. "Guys, meet Dakota and Zelina."

"Hi," Sonya said in a friendly manner, thinking that Zelina wasn't what came to mind when she pictured a female wrestler. She was much too short, standing at five feet if she was lucky.

The group shared a few minutes of the kind of awkward conversation that was common when people interacted with each other for the first time. Sonya was glad to find that her fellow female recruits and the trainers all seemed to be nice people. It was also a pleasant discovery that only Zelina, who looked the least likely, had experience in wrestling. She had apparently been wrestling ever since she finished school.

While they had been talking, the other male recruits had arrived. Sonya happened to glance across the room at the moment Triple H entered through a door that she assumed led to offices or something. The boss was here. At some point, this man was going to have the final say on whether each member of the intake had succeeded or failed in their training. Sonya knew which side of the line she was going to fall. She did not care how long or how hard she had to train, or what hoops she had to jump through. Now that she had her foot in the door with WWE, she simply was not going to squander the opportunity. She was going to make it to NXT TV, and go on from there with the sky being the limit.

By the time Triple H reached the ring that the recruits were assembled in front of, everyone had noticed him approaching and had fallen into a respectful silence, knowing that he was going to address them. There was another man with him, wearing the same kind of coach's t-shirt than Purrazzo had on.

Triple H entered the ring to stand in front of the group, and the coaching team got into the ring to join him. Sonya felt a little daunted at being in the presence of one of the biggest names in WWE history and the man who had masterminded NXT from its very conception to where it was today.

"Good morning," Triple H said loudly, his voice carrying to all of them easily.

There were some muted, nervous replies, including one from Sonya.

"I said good morning," he tried again in a more upbeat manner.

"Good morning!" Sonya said along with everyone else.

"That's more like it. I'd like to welcome you all to the Performance Centre. As I'm sure you all know, I'm Hunter Helmsley. With me I have Coach Bloom, Coach Kendrick, Coach Paige, and Coach Purrazzo. These are the guys who are going to take you ten hopefuls and turn you into WWE wrestlers. Ten people, out of a field of over fifty thousand applicants. You've done incredibly well to make it this far, but you haven't even started yet. For all of you, this is day one. This is the day where you get to meet the people you're going to spend more of your life with than your own families: your fellow recruits. Let me be clear, this is not a reality show, this is not Tough Enough. You will get a lot further by helping each other than by trying to tear each other down."

Sonya took note of that point. She had wondered how competitive the training was going to be. While she had no doubts about her ability to succeed, she wouldn't have enjoyed having to get bitchy with the other women to try and get ahead.

"The first thing you're going to do is change into your ring attire," Hunter continued. "Coach Bloom and Coach Paige will show you to the male and female locker rooms respectively. You have all been assigned a locker, as you'll see when you get there. Get changed and report back out here for your first drill of the day. Everything clear?"

Everyone confirmed that it was, then Sonya found herself walking next to Mandy on her way to the locker rooms. "Exciting, isn't it?" Sonya said, feeling herself literally buzzing to get started, hoping to make a great first impression.

"I'm shitting myself," Mandy confessed quietly. "I feel like I'm the least experienced person here, and I already see people looking at me and making assumptions based on the way I look. Dean and Seth were both getting an eyeful."

Well, you do look like the stereotypical diva, Sonya thought. She was too kind to say it, and in any case she didn't want to judge someone she didn't know anything about. She knew first hand how hurtful that could be. "You'll do fine," she said reassuringly. "We're all in the same boat. Apart from Zelina, none of us girls have any wrestling experience."

"Thanks," Mandy said, appreciating that there had been an attempt at reassurance, even if it hadn't worked.

At the front of the group of women, Paige had reached the door to the women's locker room. "Here we are, ladies," she said as she led the way inside.

Entering the room last of all, Sonya saw that the new recruits all had lockers on the left side, all five in a row. A black WWE shirt was hanging in each locker, backs facing outwards. The shirt backs had the surnames of the trainees printed on them in red lettering. Sonya saw the word Deville in between Flair and Rose. For a moment, she didn't know who Rose was, until Mandy walked over there.

"Looks like you're not going to get rid of me," Sonya said, walking over and putting her bag on the bench by her locker.

Mandy had put her bag on the bench also, before picking up the WWE shirt with her name on it.

"A little welcome gift for you all," Paige said, referring to the shirts. "See you all out here in a few."

"This is a nice touch," Mandy said, looking at the shirt as Paige left them to it. Taking the hanger down revealed a space for the locker's owner to write their name. The previous occupant's name was still there, and Mandy gasped. "Sonya, I got Trish Stratus's locker!"

"Wow!" Sonya exclaimed. Trish was the current Raw Women's Champion, and undoubtedly one of the best female wrestlers ever. Having her locker was such an honour.

Wanting to see whose locker she was taking over, Sonya took her shirt. She saw the name Clementine, with the words 'good luck' underneath, followed by a quick drawing of a heart. "Aww, I have Clementine's locker," Sonya said, picturing the popular Smackdown roster member. "And look what she wrote. How sweet of her."

"That's lovely," Mandy said as she started unpacking her gear.

Sonya followed her example, not wanting to be the last to get back out to the ring. Triple H might have said it wasn't about competing with each other, but of course it was, at least to some extent.

"So where are you staying? Do you have a place sorted out yet?" Mandy asked.

Feeling embarrassed, Sonya cringed. "No. I actually don't even have money to get a place yet. I'll be in my car for a few weeks."

"You will not!" Mandy said quickly. "I've just rented a small apartment. To be honest, it's a dump. But I'm not going to have you sleep in your car. Please, share with me. We can split the bills and stuff."

"I have don't have money," Sonya reminded her. "Not that I don't appreciate the offer. It's very kind of..."

"I meant we can split the bills once you have money. I have a bit to get by. I don't know anyone in Florida, let alone Orlando. Having a housemate would probably stop me going insane. So yeah, I'd like it. And if it doesn't work out? You can always move on to your own place when you're ready. What do you say? It's got to beat living in a car."

"That's really very sweet of you," Sonya said, feeling humbled by the kindness. "I'll make up my share as soon as I can. Thank you so much, really."

Mandy grinned. "Don't thank me yet. You've not tried living with me yet."

Sonya laughed. "Good point, well made."

They quickly finished changing into their ring attire, which in Sonya's case had previously been worn in three MMA fights. With that done, it was time to head back out to the training rings.

"I wonder what they have in store for us?" Charlotte said, just finishing changing at the locker to the other side of Sonya.

"I don't know," Sonya said, turning to her. "But we'll soon find out."


	2. Chapter 2

"Alright, everyone warmed up?" Coach Bloom called out.

Having completed one of her favourite stretching routines, Sonya was ready to go. To her surprise, the recruits had been assembled on one side of the huge training area, not at one of the rings.

"This afternoon, we're going to have you all in the ring, seeing how well you can take bumps," Bloom said. "But before that, we're going to start you out with a good old fashioned bleep test. We'll see who needs to put work into their conditioning."

"Get ready at the far end of the room," Coach Paige instructed, pointing.

Walking down to the end of the room next to Mandy, Sonya felt quietly confident about a bleep test. One thing she had no doubts about was her conditioning, such was the amount of work she had put into her MMA training over the past couple of years. She was a little surprised that the men and women were going to run at the same time, but she had no problem with it.

Moments later, all ten recruits were assembled behind a line on the floor, giving each other enough space to run comfortably. Twenty metres away, there was another line on the floor. The goal was to run the twenty metres before a bleep came through the sound system, with the amount of time between bleeps decreasing every time.

Coach Bloom blew a whistle to signal the start of the exercise. Sonya set off at a jog, knowing that it would be easy going for the first few bleeps, and that it was important to pace herself. When the going started to get tougher, she wanted to have plenty of energy in reserve.

It came as no shock to Sonya that it was more than five minutes before anyone showed any sign of struggling. Although the backgrounds of the recruits varied, they were all trained athletes.

The first person to drop out was one of the guys, who was carrying a fair bit of extra weight. Sonya felt bad for him, but glad that she wasn't the first one to fall by the wayside. Naturally, she wanted to win, but avoiding coming last was the most important thing.

After another couple of minutes, Sonya found herself on the limit of dropping out. She was running as fast as she could manage, breathing heavily and pouring with sweat. There were still five people left including her. The only other woman still going was Charlotte Flair, which shocked Sonya. However she had gotten her NXT contract, whether through family influence or not, Charlotte was undoubtedly very fit.

Making the line right on a bleep, Sonya knew that she was done. She was physically spent, with nothing left to try and pick up her pace to make the next one. Slowing down to a jog, she peeled off to the side, towards where the other dropouts were standing and watching.

"Fifth place, Sonya. Well done," Paige said, passing her a hand towel and a bottle of water.

Already, Sonya felt herself gravitating towards Mandy. After all, they were going to be housemates. "Jesus Christ," she said between heavy breaths, wiping her face with the towel.

"Great job," Mandy said. Having already spent two minutes out of the running, she was towelled off and somewhat refreshed. "Look at Charlotte go. She looks like she's still cruising."

Opening her water bottle and taking a long hit from it, Sonya turned back to face the action. She saw that Mandy was right, Charlotte appeared to be still finding the going relatively easy. "Let's hope she can win it for us girls. That Seth guy seems like he's doing okay though, too."

Sure enough, Charlotte and Seth ended up being the final two in the competition. It turned the occasion into something of a battle of the sexes, with the women cheering Charlotte on and the men wanting Seth to win.

"Come on, Charlotte!" Sonya yelled, joining in with the chorus coming from the other girls. It suddenly dawned on her that she had discovered another reason why Coach Bloom had started off with this drill. It wasn't all about conditioning, it was also about starting the bonding the process between the recruits.

Sadly for the women, it was eventually Charlotte who failed to reach the line before the bleep, bringing an end to the contest. Seeing disappointment as well as exhaustion on Flair's face, Sonya was the first to go over to her, with the other women close behind. They were all applauding their new colleague for her effort. "Amazing job," Sonya said.

"Thank you," Charlotte gasped, bent over with her hands on her knees. Sweat literally dripped off her onto the floor. "I thought I had him."

"You nearly did," Seth said. Avoiding the congratulations from the other men, his first priority had been to go to Charlotte. "Great job. I didn't think anyone would last with me that long." He gave her a pat on the back as she stood back upright.

"Thanks. I'll get you next time," Charlotte promised with an exhausted smile.

Coach Kendrick and Coach Purrazzo had reappeared, ready for the start of the next session. They handed out towels and water to Seth and Charlotte, telling them to take a minute to rest.

"So, learning to take bumps. Do you think it'll be hard?" Mandy asked, talking to Sonya while the others spoke to Charlotte.

"Not sure," Sonya replied. "Learning to take them might be one thing. Taking them well might be another."

"Yeah," Mandy said with a thoughtful look on her face.

"Okay, ladies, you're with me," Coach Purrazzo called out a few minutes later. She set off towards a ring on the opposite side of the hall, well away from where the men were going to work.

Sonya decided on the way over there that if volunteers were called for, she would step forward. She wasn't afraid to be the first one to have a go at things, even in front of the rest of the group. Plus, she wanted to show willingness to the coach.

In the end, it didn't work out that way. Purrazzo didn't seek a volunteer, she climbed into the ring and asked Zelina Vega to join her. The other four recruits stood by the apron, watching on.

"Zelina," Purrazzo said. "Of the group, you're the only one with significant wrestling experience. I want you to demonstrate how to bump. Take one, and stay on the mat in the position you land, please."

Saying nothing, Vega threw herself backwards to the mat, landing with a loud bang. Sonya was impressed with the amount of force the small woman had been able to put into the bump.

"Good," Purrazzo said. "Look at the way she has positioned her arms and legs. Perfect form for landing a bump. Zelina, give me three more, quickly."

Vega got up to obey the instruction. As she performed the bumps, Purrazzo got the other four women to focus on the way she landed on the mat on her entire back, spreading the impact evenly.

"Never allow your head to hit the mat," Purrazzo said after the last of Vega's three demonstration bumps. "Land on your back only. Thank you, Zelina. Step out of the ring."

Sonya gave Zelina a little smile of appreciation. The way she had moved so quickly, getting up and going back down again without losing her form had been impressive. If she hadn't known already, Sonya would have just realised that she had a lot to learn, even to reach Vega's level of in-ring ability.

"Right, who's going to try some bumps?" Purrazzo said. Without waiting for an answer, she made the decision herself. "Dakota, in you come."

Looking slightly shy, Dakota entered the ring.

"Ever bumped before?" Purrazzo asked her.

"Yes. But I'm not as good as Zelina."

"You will be," the coach promised. "Show me what you've got."

Sonya watched as Dakota did a few bumps, with guidance from Deonna. The bumps were less forceful and less convincing than the ones Zelina had managed., but her technique wasn't bad.

"Sonya, you're up," Purrazzo said when Dakota's turn in the ring was over.

Eagerly, Sonya climbed into a wrestling ring for the very first time. She found it firmer under foot than she had expected.

"MMA background, right?" Purrazzo said. "Never bumped before?"

"No," Sonya confirmed. "Never been in a ring before."

"We all have to start somewhere," Purrazzo said reassuringly. "When you're ready, remembering what you've just seen from Zelina and Dakota, I want you to take a single bump. Land on as much of your back as you can, and avoid taking any impact on her neck or head."

Sonya nodded her understanding of the instruction. Part of her felt a bit silly as she considered throwing herself to the mat in front of a bunch of people. That feeling would soon have to go if she wanted to be taking bumps in front of audiences of millions.

Figuring that the first one would be the hardest of them all, Sonya launched herself into her first bump, wanting to make a good impact like Zelina had.

Jesus Christ, Sonya thought as soon as she hit the ring. She had expected to feel cushioned, but it was quite the opposite. It felt like she had landed on a wooden floor. She had clearly felt the outline of the wooden boards under the mat on her back. Most of the impact had been taken up near her shoulders, and it hurt. Her head had also made contact with that mat, albeit not heavily.

"No," Purrazzo said, shaking her head. "You focused on how hard you went down, not on getting the technique right. That's a fast track to hurting yourself. The most important part is to land properly on your back, distributing the impact. You'll find yourself able to do it with more authority in time. Up you get, try again. Focus on how you position your body, not how hard you can throw yourself back."

Feeling embarrassed by her mistake, Sonya got up. She was familiar with the feeling, however, from her early days of training for MMA. Getting started on a new discipline was the hardest part for sure.

For her second attempt, Sonya took the bump at little more than a fall. It felt like she landed on most of her back that time, and it hurt a lot less. Even so, it was painful. She was sure it had looked like the lamest bump in the history of wrestling.

"Much better," Purrazzo said. "Hurts, though, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," Sonya said with a laugh, getting back to her feet.

"It'll get better. Your back will toughen up as it gets used to it."

* * *

By the end of the afternoon, after taking more bumps than she could count, Sonya felt like she had been brutally beaten on her back with planks of wood. She could tell that Mandy felt the same. If was obvious just from how she was standing while they listened to Coach Paige wrap things up for the day.

"We start again at nine tomorrow morning. You'll be learning to run the ropes. You can go get hit the showers now. Before you leave, see Coach Bloom in reception. He will issue you all with an ID card which will give you access to the Performance Centre whenever you need it. You are free to come in for extra training on your days off if you so wish. Importantly, do not lose your ID. No ID means no access past reception, and there will be no exceptions to that rule. Understood?"

Sonya joined the other women in confirming her understanding. Security was apparently tight here, but for good reason.

"You'll find a kitchen and a lounge upstairs if you would like to use them," Paige continued. "They're open to you, but treat them with respect and keep them clean. The gym next door is also open you whenever you'd like to use it. Okay everyone, off you go."

As they set off towards the locker rooms, Sonya found herself hoping that Mandy didn't want to hang around. Personally, she wanted to get to her new apartment, check it out, then soak in a bath to ease the pain from her back muscles. She was so lucky not to be facing another night sleeping on the back seat of a car.

"How far away is the apartment?" she asked Mandy.

"Ten minute drive, maybe a bit less. I'm happy to head there after we've showered, if you are?"

"Definitely," Sonya assured her. "I'll follow you there in my car."


	3. Chapter 3

The first impression Sonya got of what was going to be her home for the time being was somewhat encouraging. The apartment block it was in didn't seem to be notably rough or rundown. There was no graffiti that she could see, and there had been no shady characters hanging around outside.

"Do you know much about the area?" she asked Mandy as they climbed the stairs to the first floor, where their apartment was.

"It's not supposed to be too bad," Mandy replied. "It was the one thing I insisted on when I was looking for somewhere. I had enough in my budget to avoid the bad areas, but not enough to get much of a place in the nice ones, if you know what I mean?"

"Yeah," Sonya said with a smile, glad they had the same priorities when it came to living conditions. A substandard apartment she could deal with. The same could not be said for living somewhere surrounded by drug addicts, violent criminals and noisy neighbours.

"I managed to talk them into giving me a three month lease, too," Mandy said. "I'm hoping that by then I'll have enough money saved to move somewhere better."

"Definitely shouldn't be a problem with two of us," Sonya thought aloud. "If we still want to live together then, of course."

Mandy laughed. "I'm sure you'll have had enough of me by then."

"Or you'll have had enough of me," Sonya countered with a smile.

Now on the first floor, Mandy reached a door with black metal numbers screwed into in, denoting it as apartment 104. "This is us," she announced. "A good distance from the stairs, which is a good thing. Not as much noise back here."

Mandy unlocked the door and led the way inside. The first thing Sonya noticed was the smell of plug-in air fresheners. There could definitely have been worse welcomes. She found that the front door opened into a combined kitchen and living room, with the two areas separated by a breakfast bar. The kitchen was small, but usable. The living area also wasn't very big, but it was furnished, albeit cheaply. There was a well-worn brown couch and chair set, with a wooden coffee table in front of the couch, at a right angle to the chair. There was also a smallish flat screen TV on the wall opposite the couch.

"Hey, this looks okay," Sonya said pleasantly.

"Yeah," Mandy said, standing for a moment while Sonya had a look around. "It's hardly a life of luxury, but it's somewhere to crash."

A door opposite the kitchen led through to the rest of the apartment. "Bedrooms and bathroom through here, obviously," Sonya said.

Mandy nodded, taking the lead once more. "There are two bedrooms, but one is completely unfurnished. I guess they thought someone might like to use it as an office or something. Anyway, I dumped my stuff in there last night, and I guess we'll bring yours up when we unload your car. We'll have to buy a bed and a mattress from somewhere for you. For a start, you'll have to have the couch I'm afraid."

"Hey, it's better than sleeping in my car," Sonya said appreciatively. "Once we've got things sorted, I'll look for somewhere to buy a bed."

Both bedrooms were small, like every other room in the apartment, Sonya soon saw as Mandy showed her around.

"And lastly, this is the bathroom," Mandy said, stopping in front of the one door that remained unopened. "Brace yourself."

Sonya gave Mandy an uneasy look before opening the door. That kind of warning was not what she had wanted to hear. Inside, she found that the bath, sink and toilet were all filthy, especially the toilet. The tiles around the bath were also in need of a clean. The toilet, though, was what made Sonya gag. The white enamel in the bowl was stained a horrid brown colour, so long had it been since anyone had cleaned it. "Mandy, that's fucking vile," she moaned.

"I got half of the first month's rent discounted as compensation for the state of the cleanliness. At least now I have someone to help me get it taken care of."

Sonya laughed, despite the horrendous task she was faced with. "No wonder you were keen on having a housemate." As she said it, she realised it was a risky thing to say to someone she didn't really know. If Mandy took it the wrong way, she would look seriously unappreciative for having a roof over her head.

Luckily, Mandy found the comment funny and laughed. "Hey, a deal is a deal."

"Indeed it is," Sonya said with a grimace that contained some humour.

"The kitchen is dirty too. All of the cupboards need cleaning, as do the fridge and the cooker. The oven is a real state. I don't know how people can live in conditions like that to be honest. Showering in that bath was nasty this morning, but I had no choice."

Sonya felt repulsed by the thought of it. "Yeah, I think I'll shower at the Performance Centre in the morning. I was looking forward to a relaxing bath tonight, but it looks like that's not going to happen."

"Not unless we go and find a store somewhere. I don't even have any cleaning supplies here yet. I'm not sure I'm up for cleaning tonight anyway, after what they put us through today. I'm stiffening up fast after all of those bumps."

While she could understand the way Mandy felt, there was more rigorous training to come the next day. There was little prospect of them having any more time or energy to clean the next night than there was now, and it would mean another day living in squalid conditions. As tired as she was, Sonya wanted to get the job over and done with.

"I think we should suck it up and at least make a start tonight," she suggested. "We're going to get trained hard every day, so unless we wait until the weekend we're not going to feel any better than we do now. Why don't we unload my things, then look up where the nearest hardware store is?"

"Yeah, alright," Mandy relented as they walked back through to the living area. "When we're done, we can order in pizza or something as a bit of a housewarming meal. I assume you like pizza?"

"My family is half Italian," Sonya revealed. "So, yeah, saying I like pizza would be an understatement. If I didn't have to stay in shape, I would live on a diet of pizza and donuts."

"Oh my god. You are my actual spirit animal!" Mandy cried. "My family is half Italian as well, and donuts are literally my favourite food! I love them so much! Especially glazed ones, I obsess over them!"

The beaming smile on Mandy's face made Sonya think, not for the first time that day, how beautiful she was. Stunning didn't even do her justice. Gorgeous face, beautiful smile and a body to die for. Sonya could have fallen for her on the spot, if it wouldn't have been totally inappropriate to do so.

"Is your mom's side of the family Italian?" she asked, hiding what she was thinking. "Mine is. Obviously Deville isn't an Italian name, and neither is Rose."

"Actually, my dad's side is Italian," Mandy revealed. "Saccomanno is my real surname, but WWE wanted me to use my mom's maiden name, Rose. I guess Saccomanno didn't work for them," she laughed.

Sonya chuckled. "I can't stop thinking about donuts now. I don't have much money, but if you buy the cleaning supplies, I'll buy us some donuts."

"There's a deal I can't possibly turn down," Mandy said. "Just don't tell Coach Purrazzo about it tomorrow. I can see her as the strict one, rather than Paige."

"I saw it the same way," Sonya replied with a nod. "Often, strict people are good teachers, though."

"I suppose we'd better get to work," Mandy said.

Fifteen minutes later, after several trips up and down the stairs each, the contents of Sonya's car had been unloaded into what would eventually become her bedroom. Then, after a quick search online to find a hardware store that was open, it was time for them to head out together in Mandy's car.

"So, you said your background is MMA?" Mandy asked as she pulled away from the apartment block.

"That's right. I went through all the training and had three fights: two wins and a loss. Luckily, WWE offered me the developmental contract when they did because I wasn't making enough to live, even with a bartending job on top of what I got for my fights. I was going to have to give it up and try something new, then wrestling came along. What about you? You said you were into bodybuilding, right?"

"Yeah. I actually won a couple of national championships. Like you said, though, it wasn't paying the bills. I was working in my dad's deli until last week."

"Humble beginnings for both of us," Sonya said with a smile, appreciating the fact. "Success means a lot more when you have to bust your ass for it."

Mandy grunted. "Yeah, we can't all get ahead like Charlotte Flair. You know she got her contract through her dad."

"Quite possibly. But we should give her a chance. She seems like a serious athlete. You saw how she went in that bleep test. Besides, it's not nice to be judged. I guess I should tell you, since we're going to live together. I'm gay, and I've been thinking about the best way to come out to the group. As far as I know, there has never been an openly lesbian wrestler in WWE before. Anyway, it's being judged like that is exactly what I don't want to happen."

Mandy said nothing for a moment, a reaction that Sonya read as negative. It hurt to feel like her new supposed friend was judging her, but it certainly wasn't the first time it had happened in her life. "You're not comfortable with the idea of living with a gay woman?" she asked, sighing inwardly.

"Oh, no, that's not it at all," Mandy said quickly, glancing over from the driver's seat. "Quite the opposite, in fact. I'm gay too. I was reprimanding myself for judging Charlotte when, like you said, it's something gay people face so often."

"Oh," Sonya said slowly, taken by surprise. "That's, uh, this is awesome. Two lesbian women signed by WWE. What a huge step forward for LGBTQ in wrestling."

"I hadn't decided if I was going to come out or not," Mandy explained. "Not knowing much about WWE, I'm not how open they are about gay rights and stuff. I wouldn't want my sexuality to hinder my chances during training. Naturally, I would have told you sooner than later as my housemate."

Sonya could understand the concern Mandy had voiced about WWE. The same thought had occurred to her, and bothered her to the point that she had done research into the subject before signing her contract. Her conclusion had been that WWE would almost certainly be supportive and enthusiastic when they learned that they had a lesbian trainee signed to them. It seemed more likely that they would want to make an unnecessarily big deal about it than ostracise her for her sexuality.

"I don't think it would hinder you at all," she said reassuringly, looking at Mandy. "I looked into it, and WWE are big supporters of gay rights. They had a shirt campaign about it a while back with Finn Balor, and they do a lot with the community. I'm not all that worried about coming out as far as the company is concerned. For me, it's a case of choosing the right moment to open up to the coaches and the rest of the recruits."

"I'm less confident than you," Mandy admitted. "Maybe, when the time is right, we could come out together? Strength in numbers, that kind of thing."

"If that helps you, then absolutely, I'm up for it," Sonya said without hesitation. "After all, you took me in and put a roof over my head even as a total stranger. I think that saying I owe you one would be an understatement."

Mandy glanced at her and smiled. Their eyes lingered on each other for a second, and Sonya had to tell herself not to imagine that Mandy found her attractive. It wasn't right to project what she was feeling onto her new friend.

"You owe me nothing," Mandy said, returning her attention to the road. "You needed a house, I needed a housemate. You've just happened to be someone I have a lot in common with."

And feel attracted to, Mandy didn't add. The truth was that Sonya had taken her breath away the moment they had set eyes on each other in the Performance Centre that morning. If she could have picked her ideal woman, she would look a lot like Sonya, and share a lot of her characteristics. Strong, but humble. Badass, but kind-hearted. And of course, sexy beyond words.

And then, to Mandy's immense surprise, Sonya had revealed herself to be gay. Naturally, though, being gay didn't mean Sonya was attracted to her. But, Mandy decided, she could work on that. Showing off her body and flirting were things that she knew she was good at. If Sonya felt anything for her, she would soon find out.


	4. Chapter 4

Fortune had been in Sonya and Mandy's favour when they had arrived at the hardware store minutes before it closed for the day. The staff probably hadn't been pleased with the amount of time they had spent filling their cart with cleaning products, but the amount of money Mandy had ended up parting with at the checkout should have helped to make up for the inconvenience. Sonya knew she was getting off lightly by only having to buy a box of donuts in return.

Back at the apartment, after hauling their purchases up the stairs, it was time to get down to the jobs that neither of them had been looking forward to. "Kitchen or bathroom?" Mandy asked Sonya once the bags of supplies had been dumped on the breakfast bar, offering her the choice of which filthy room she wanted to work on.

"I think the fair thing to do is flip a coin. The bathroom is more disgusting, but there's more work to do in the kitchen."

Mandy smiled at the suggestion. She took a coin out of her pocket and said, "Okay, you can call. Heads you get the bathroom, tails you get the kitchen."

"Tails," Sonya said, now wishing that she had simply chosen the kitchen when the offer had been made. She had decided she would rather put elbow grease into cleaning an oven and some kitchen units than having to scrub the vile mess she had seen in the toilet bowl. The image came back to mind and made her stomach feel uneasy.

Tossing the coin up into the air, Mandy caught it and slapped it onto her forearm before removing her hand to reveal the result. "Heads. Get toilet scrubbing, girl."

"Eww," Sonya cringed. "Alright, I guess it's time to go get changed into some scruffy clothes."

Those words played right into a plan that had been forming in Mandy's head during the shopping trip. "Yes, me too," she said, keeping her face impassive.

The two women walked through to their bedrooms. Although Sonya's wasn't furnished yet, all of her belongings were in there, still in bags.

Entering her bedroom, Mandy rummaged through the clothes that she hadn't had a chance to properly unpack as yet. She knew exactly what she was going for. Shortly, she was changed into a pair of silver hot pants and a very revealing black top with the word 'goddess' on the front in stylish silver lettering. Looking at herself in a mirror, she decided that if this didn't turn Sonya on, then nothing would. One way or another, it would show Mandy if the attraction she felt towards her new housemate was mutual or not.

Leaving the bedroom, Mandy headed back to the kitchen. When she got there, she got a surprise of her own. Sonya had changed into a casual black Adidas tracksuit, but it was the fact that she now had her hair down that caught Mandy's attention. It was the first time she had seen it down, and in her opinion it made Sonya look even prettier than ever.

Setting eyes on Mandy, Sonya's first instinct would have been to laugh at the choice of cleaning attire if her heart hadn't stopped beating. Mandy's body was truly incredible. She had already seen as much during training, yet now, in the intimacy of their own apartment, the sight seemed to have a much deeper effect on Sonya. She imagined those stunning legs wrapped around her. She imagined herself playing with those incredible tits, and kissing those fulsome lips. Just thinking about it started turning her on.

"You look great with your hair down," Mandy said, biting her bottom lip slightly in a flirtatious manner.

"Thank you," Sonya said, her heart fluttering at what she recognised beyond doubt as a suggestive gesture. "I always put my hair up before I square up."

"You should make that a catchphrase once we get as far as developing our characters."

Sonya's eyes widened. It was an idea that she loved instantly. "I should. That's actually a brilliant idea. Put your hair up and square up. I can see that on a t-shirt."

Walking into the kitchen to start getting ready to clean, Mandy made sure to do her best to show off her ass in her hotpants. In the corner of her eye, she was able to see Sonya checking her out, exactly as she had intended.

Feeling herself about to blush, Sonya focused on sorting out the supplies she needed to clean the bathroom. Scrubbing brushes, scouring pads, bottles of bleach and disinfectant sprays were sorted into one of the plastic bags. Next, Sonya opened a multi pack of blue rubber gloves and put a pair on before tossing the pack onto the counter near to Mandy. Lastly, they had bought a pack of dust masks to try and protect from the worst of the smells they were going to encounter. While Mandy set about sorting herself out, Sonya put one of the white masks on.

"Ready to go," she said, spreading her arms to show off her new look. "How do I look?"

"Fully hot," Mandy said without hesitation. When it came to flirting, she didn't hold back at all.

Feeling embarrassed, Sonya picked up her bag of goodies and made for the bathroom. Deciding to get the worst out of the way up front, she began with the toilet. The interactions with Mandy actually helped by providing a massive distraction from the gruesome task. There could be no doubt about it: Mandy was flirting with her, and flirting heavily. She could not have failed to see that her new housemate was attracted to her. Mandy had made that abundantly clear. And Sonya felt the same way. Mandy was the most gorgeous woman she had ever seen. From the little they knew about each other, they seemed to have similar personalities, and plenty in common.

But there was the problem: What little they knew about each other. They had only met that morning, and here they were moving in together. Not only that, they were flirting, and Sonya had already imagined them getting it on.

"Am I going mental?" she muttered to herself, scrubbing away at the foul bleach-filled toilet bowl. "How can I be considering having sex with someone I met this morning?"

It felt like complete insanity. But was it? Another part of her wanted to play devil's advocate. People met on nights out and ended up having sex. It happened all the time. Sure, alcohol often had a lot to do with it, but even so, there was nothing morally wrong with the idea of sleeping with Mandy. There was certainly no way WWE could object either, even if they found out. The wrestling business was notorious for the relationships that happened within it.

The more Sonya thought about Mandy, the more horny she got, and the more she dismissed any reservations. The fact that she could even get horny while scraping other people's dirt out of a toilet spoke volumes.

After ten minutes of hard work, the toilet was gleaming, in contrast to the rest of the room. Sonya knew she ought to get on with doing the bath, but she felt herself being pulled towards Mandy like an asteroid caught in orbit around a planet. She simply had to go back to the kitchen.

Standing up, Sonya stripped off her gloves and hung them over the edge of the sink before removing her mask. She walked out of the bathroom and down the short hallway to the kitchen.

Sonya saw that Mandy hadn't heard her footsteps on the carpeted floor. Standing at the end of the hallway, she stood for a minute watching her housemate crouched in front of the oven, ass and legs shown off beautifully as she scrubbed away at the years of grime.

Getting up to grab a spray bottle, Mandy saw Sonya standing there. "Oh, hey," she said. "What are you doing?"

"Admiring the view," Sonya said honestly, feeling her sex drive kicking into the next gear.

Mandy had one of the dust masks on for protection against the oven cleaner fumes, so her eyes were the only way for Sonya to gauge a reaction. A flicker of desire was what she saw before Mandy spoke in a sultry tone. "Is that so?"

"Yes," Sonya said, walking forward. "You've been flirting with me, Ms Rose. Don't think for a second that I don't know that's why you put that top and those hotpants on."

"And if I did?" Mandy asked innocently, looking up at the taller woman. "What exactly would you do about it, Sonya?"

"I know what I want to do," Sonya said, voice thick with lust. "I want to take you in the bedroom and fuck you."

"Oh, forceful," Mandy said, playing innocent. But Sonya could hear how much she liked it, and could see it in her eyes.

"You didn't object," Sonya noted.

"No, I didn't." Mandy swiftly pulled of her dust mask, tossing it aside.

They kissed, and there could be no going back from it. The fires of passion were ignited, and nothing could have put them out.

As they kissed, exploring each other's mouths with their tongues, Sonya picked Mandy up, hands under firm, shapely ass. For support, Mandy wrapped her legs around Sonya's waist.

"You said you were going to take me into the bedroom and fuck me," Mandy said between kisses.

It was a moment before Sonya came up for air to reply. "Yes, I did. Yes, I am."

With that, Sonya tuned and started walking towards the bedroom, easily carrying Mandy's weight while continuing to kiss her.

"Such a big, strong girl," Mandy purred sloppily.

"And wait until you find out what I can do with my tongue. Take those damn gloves off," Sonya instructed at the bedroom doorway.

Everything about the encounter so far had shown Mandy that Sonya liked to be in charge, even dominant during sex. While she was okay with playacting the damsel, she wasn't sure that she wanted to be totally submissive to a new lover. "No," she said firmly. "If you want me, take me how you find me."

Sonya didn't need to be told twice. Carrying Mandy over to the bed, she set her down on it and climbed onto it her herself. In seconds, the hotpants were on the floor, followed by a black thong. "Mady Rose, you are the most breath-taking woman I have ever set eyes on," Sonya had said while undressing her.

"Take my breath away, Sonya," Mandy urged. "I haven't had sex in ages. Make me come."

Sonya knew she would have no problem doing that. All of her past girlfriends had loved how good she was at giving oral.

Within minutes, she had Mandy responding to her every touch, squirming, gasping and moaning with pleasure. When the orgasm came, Sonya kept going, doing everything she could to prolong it. Only when it was over did she lift her head, Mandy's fluid dribbling down her chin.

"Fuck me," Mandy gasped, eyes closed. It was an expression of satisfaction this time, not an order.

"Just did, and I bet it was the best you ever had."

"I love your attitude," Mandy said, opening her eyes.

"Good. I love getting my pussy eaten."

"I don't doubt that," Mandy said, sitting up in preparation for taking her turn. "Sonya?"

"What?"

"I don't want you to buy a bed. I don't want you to sleep on the couch. I want you to sleep in here, with me."

Sonya gave her a lustful smile. "At this point, you couldn't stop me. I'll be in here all night. I'm not planning on doing much sleeping, though."

Mandy felt like her heart might give out. "That sounds like an even better plan."


	5. Chapter 5

The unexpected night of passion had seen Sonya and Mandy not emerge from the bedroom until morning, by which time they made love to each other several times. Things had happened so fast between them, but Sonya wasn't going to question it when it felt so right. It had been a long time since she had connected with someone in the way that she already had with Mandy.

If they had not been due to report for their second day of training, Sonya could easily have suggested going out for breakfast and then returning to bed for the rest of the day. But that wasn't an option. They needed to be up bright and early, and they needed to show up for training looking fit and ready to go. The opposite was closer to the truth.

"I feel as stiff as board," Mandy had complained while awkwardly getting out of bed.

"I have pain in muscles I didn't even know I had before now," Sonya had replied, grimacing.

There was another problem, too. The cleaning of the apartment had been abandoned with the job barely started, meaning that the bathroom and the kitchen were still filthy, with the exception of the toilet and the oven. Tired, stiff and racked with pain, Sonya felt like she had to suck it up and do the rest of the bathroom. She could not face the idea of returning home that night to find it still filthy.

"Mandy, I think we should finish the cleaning before we go out," she suggested she got dressed into the Adidas tracksuit she had briefly worn the previous night. "I need a long bath so bad for these aching muscles."

Walking around the bed, Mandy looked adoringly at her. The night with Sonya had truly blown her mind. It had been the best sex she had ever had, and she felt as though she was in love already, as insane as that would have sounded if she had told the story to someone. "I could join you?" she suggested, biting her bottom lip.

Mandy, you are such a temptress, Sonya thought, feeling herself warming up quickly. Even so, she chose to play it cool. "No, you have the kitchen to clean."

"I meant join you in the bath tonight," Mandy purred, nestling up against Sonya and kissing the side of her neck.

"Oh, did you?" Sonya asked innocently. "I guess I could be persuaded to share my bath."

"I'm very persuasive," Mandy said, continuing with her kissing and fondling one of Sonya's breasts through her tracksuit top.

"I know you are," Sonya gasped. As tempting as more sex was, she was used to being in charge of her relationships. She liked to be dominant, and was not going to allow Mandy to feel like she was controlling things. For that reason, she kissed her lover and then backed off. "Cleaning, breakfast, training, then sex."

"You're so bossy," Mandy said, only pretending to grumble about it.

"I can be bossier."

"I'll wait to see that," Mandy said, obviously turned on.

After some more small talk, it was time to get down to the job at hand. They were pushed for time to get it done it they wanted to be able to grab breakfast before heading to the Performance Centre. Sonya went into the bathroom, where she had left her cleaning supplies the night before. She put on her rubber gloves and was about to get to work when she realised that Mandy was standing in the doorway watching her. "What?" she asked with a giggle.

"Nothing. You just look so sexy like that," Mandy said.

Sonya laughed, spreading her arms wide. "Of course I do. No makeup, hair a mess, tracksuit and rubber gloves on. This is the next trend people will be copying for sure."

Mandy walked forward and kissed her. "I'm not joking. I do find it hot. Very hot."

"I'll keep that in mind," Sonya promised, realising that she was in fact serious.

"Good," Mandy said softly. With one more kiss, she headed off to the kitchen.

An hour later, the apartment was in much better shape. Needing to get a move on so as to arrive early for training, they decided that they were going to have to settle for coffee and donuts for breakfast.

At the closest donut bar to their apartment, Sonya allowed Mandy to choose her favourite type of glazed donuts and purchased them to go. They would need to be eaten on the drive to the Performance Centre. Now that they were out of the apartment, they had been able to talk about things other than sex.

"Coach Bloom said we're going to learn how to run the ropes today," Mandy said, sipping from her piping hot cup of coffee while Sonya drove. "Do you think it'll be tough? On the face of it, it seems like it would be quite easy."

"I've read about it before," Sonya replied. "It's supposedly trickier than it looks. There's a specific technique to learn, and even then, the ropes hurt your back until you get used to it."

"Oh good. I needed my back to hurt some more after yesterday," Mandy said with a wry smile.

Sonya laughed. "I hear you. But, like Purrazzo said yesterday, we'll soon toughen up. I'm wondering how long it will be until we start actually practicing moves."

"I'm not sure. I hope it's not long. I know we've got a long way to go, obviously, but I can't wait until we can have matches at live events. No doubt we'll be doing that for a while before we have a chance of getting on TV."

"You're right," Sonya nodded. "Hey, do you think maybe they'll let us be a team?"

Mandy's eyes lit up at that. "How awesome would that be? What do you think we could be called? Our names don't combine well, do they?"

"No," Sonya said after thinking about it for a moment. "Dandy is the best I've got, but there's no chance of them having a tag team called Dandy."

Now it was Mandy's turn to laugh. "No way," she agreed. "It sounds more like a YouTube series or something. Dandy's Donuts."

"Girl, what an amazing idea!" Sonya cried. "You are a genius. We should totally do that."

Mandy looked at her, mouth full of donut. "Wait, really? You'd want Dandy's Donuts to be a thing?"

"Yeah! A video series where we buy donuts from different places and review them. I bet people would love it. We might even make a bit of extra coin if the series took off. Hey, it's worth a shot at least. What do you say?"

"I'm up for it," Mandy smiled. "We could do one episode a week or something and see how it goes? We could film in the car, put one of our phones on the dash or something."

"Great idea," Sonya said.

"Welcome to Dandy's Donuts," Mandy said theatrically, practicing a potential intro. "I do like the sound of it a lot. And what better project than eating our favourite food?"

"Exactly," Sonya said with a big smile on her face.

By the time they arrived at the Performance Centre, the coffee and donuts were gone. They made their way inside, thankfully having remembered their photo ID to gain admittance, and went through to the locker room to get changed.

Entering the locker room, they found Charlotte and Zelina had arrived before them, leaving only Dakota to come.

"Morning. How are you?" Zelina said to them.

"Morning. Don't think I've hurt this much for a while," Sonya said.

"I know I haven't," Mandy added, drawing laughter from everyone. "How are you?"

"I'm alright," Zelina said. "You guys are hurting because you're new to it. It doesn't last forever."

"Today we're running the ropes, then learning how to do body slams," Charlotte said. "I was speaking to Paige when I arrived."

Now standing at their lockers, Sonya and Mandy looked at each other, delighted with the news. "I was saying on the way here I wondered how long it would be before we were allowed to practice moves. I didn't think it would be today."

"Yeah," Zelina said as the relative voice of experience in the group. "Body slams and other simple slams will be fairly early in the training programme. The later stuff is learning how to punch, and obviously learning more complicated moves. Those sessions will be more specific to you as individuals rather than a group thing. By then, they'll have given you an idea what style of wrestler they want you to be, along with some basics about the initial character they want you to portray on NXT."

"We're lucky to have you as part of our intake," Sonya said. "It's great to have someone who knows about how the training is going to work. I can only speak for myself, but it makes me feel more at ease."

Mandy and Charlotte voiced their agreement as Dakota entered the room. Greetings were exchanged, then Sonya and Mandy set about getting changed into their ring attire. For the moment, they only had one set each, not that Sonya was going to complain about Mandy's. The gold sports bra, shorts and boots she had made her look the absolute bomb.

Filing out into the main hall a sort time later, the women found the men ready and waiting, chatting away with the four coaches.

"Morning, ladies," Coach Bloom said, talking loudly as was his natural style. "Since we're all here early, we'll not waste time getting started. This morning you'll be split into four groups." He announced the groups, one of them being Sonya and Mandy, who were assigned to work with Coach Purrazzo. "In your groups, you'll be learning to run the ropes. Then, this afternoon, we'll have the women in one group and the men in another, and you'll be doing some body slams."

"There you go, Seth, you're finally going to learn how to wrestle," Dean Ambrose said to his friend. Everyone knew they were both wrestlers already, so the joke drew laughter.

"Yes, we know some of you already know how to do this stuff," Coach Kendrick said. "But for the first couple of weeks, we're keeping the groups together. After that, we'll look at advancing those who are coming in with more experience."

"Okay, in your assigned groups, go with your coaches," Coach Bloom ordered.

"This way, ladies. We're over in this corner ring," Coach Purrazzo said to Sonya and Mandy, gesturing to the ring in question. As they walked away from the rest of the group, she had a comment to make. "You guys seem to be getting along well so far."

"Yeah, we've, uh, hit it off well," Sonya said with a sideways glance at Mandy that went unnoticed by the coach.

"That's good," Purrazzo said. "You'll be on the road working live events before you know it. It's usually two or three months before you get the green light for that. When that time comes, you're going to want at least one good friend to travel with."

Sonya and Mandy looked at each other again, pleasantly surprised that they would be wrestling what sounded like really soon after starting training.

"We've got that covered," Mandy promised. "But did you say we could be working live events in a couple of months?"

Purrazzo reached the ring she had been leading them to and turned to face them. "Sure," she said with a relaxed smile on her face. "Once you've learned the basics, you're good to work short matches on live events. Experience in the ring is vital, and that's what we give you."

"Sounds amazing," Sonya said. "Roughly how long does it take before we have matches on TV?"

"As I'm sure you can appreciate, that varies from person to person. It's too early for me to say anything more at this point." After a brief pause, Purrazzo moved on. "Right, let's get to it. I'll have both of you in the ring, please."

The coach followed the two trainees into the ring.

"Okay, as Coach Bloom said, today I'll be teaching you how to run the ropes. Fair warning, since you're new to it, you'll find yourselves hurting tomorrow morning."

"Believe me, we're already there," Mandy said, making Sonya and Deonna chuckle.

"Don't worry," Purrazzo said. "Tomorrow, you'll be doing something completely different."


	6. Chapter 6

After the second day of training, Sonya and Mandy felt tired, with what felt like all of their muscles aching, and their backs absolutely killing them. But it was the good kind of exhaustion and pain that they were both used to from their past training regimes in their old disciplines.

They had gone back to the apartment as soon as they had showered and changed after training, only stopping at a store to stock up on food and cooking ingredients. All day, they had only eaten a couple of donuts each. With amount of work they were putting their bodies through, they knew that it was important to eat enough to stay healthy. For that reason, Mandy had cooked them a plentiful dinner for their first meal in the apartment.

While they sat on the couch eating, Sonya decided it was time they ought to get to know each other better. It seemed like a strange thought, given the many times they'd had sex the previous night, but that was how things had worked out. She certainly had no regrets about it.

"Where in New York are you from?" Sonya asked. "I definitely hear New York in your accent."

"You do," Mandy smiled after a mouthful of food. "I'm from Westchester County. My family lived there all my life. I have four brothers, all older than me."

"That's Italian breeding," Sonya said with a laugh.

"For sure," Mandy laughed. "How about you? How many brothers and sisters?"

"I'm the middle of three girls," Sonya said. "My youngest sister has a different dad, though. My parents divorced when I was two."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Mandy said sympathetically.

Sonya responded with a smile and a bit of a shrug. "Thank you, but it's okay. It happened so early that I never knew them together. My dad moved out, but we always kept in touch. He's still on good terms with my mom, and he's always been a big part of my life. I can't pretend he's always agreed with my life decisions, but I can't say he was wrong when he disagreed with me, either. He told me he thought moving to LA to train for MMA was a bad idea. Here I am having done it, damn near bankrupt."

"But signed to WWE," Mandy pointed out. "You obviously got scouted through MMA. It's why you're here now, so it absolutely was not a failure."

Sonya smiled. "I guess you're right. Okay, your turn. Tell me about your family."

"My parents are separated as well," Mandy said sadly. "They split up a couple of years ago. The divorce isn't finalised yet. It's been very hard on my dad." Abruptly, Mandy burst into tears.

"Hey, it's okay," Sonya said, taken by surprise. She hurriedly put her plate on the floor and embraced her lover in an attempt to comfort her. "It's okay. Shhh. Don't cry," she said soothingly.

"I'm sorry," Mandy gasped, embarrassed by the unexpected flood of emotion. "It's just... I love my dad so much. I've been so close to him my whole life. He's always been there for me. Anything I've wanted to do, he's supported me. Any time I've struggled, he's been there for me. Seeing him hurting so much after mom left hurt me so much."

"Were you still living with your dad before coming to Orlando? I know you said you were working in his deli?"

Mandy pulled back from the embrace and wiped her eyes, getting herself back under control. "Shit, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lose it like that. I just love my dad so much."

"It's fine. You have nothing to apologise for," Sonya assured her. "Besides we all need a good cry sometimes."

Taking a deep breath, Mandy wiped her eyes once more. She spent a moment poking at her meal with her fork before she was able to continue the conversation. "Yes, I was living with my dad. I worked at his deli for a while. He built that business up from nothing. It's his pride and joy. I have to take you there one day."

"I'd be delighted to go there with you," Sonya said sincerely.

"Then we'll do it," Mandy smiled. "Whenever we get a couple of days off, we'll go up there. Not that that's going to be any time soon."

"Right," Sonya said with a smile. Now that they had reported for training, they were in it for the long haul.

Moving on from the emotional moment, they ate the rest of their meals in a comfortable silence, watching the news on TV.

Last to finish, Sonya put a bright smile on her face, wanting to reinvigorate the evening. "That was delicious, Mandy. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I don't need to tell you that Italian girls are good cooks."

"You might be," Sonya giggled. "I didn't inherit any kind of culinary ability, Italian or otherwise."

Mandy laughed. "I see how it is. You're setting out to have me do all of the cooking."

"I mean, I'll cook," Sonya shrugged. "It's whether you'll want to eat what I produce that will be the issue."

Mandy smiled, appreciating the joke.

"Well," Sonya said, getting up off the couch. "You bought the food and cooked it. The least I can do is wash the dishes."

"You'll get no complaint from me," Mandy said. Sonya offered to take her plate, but Mandy chose to get up and follow her across the room to the kitchen.

Sonya started filling the sink with water, then set about stacking up the items to be washed.

"Sonya?" Mandy said, hopping up into a sitting positon on the edge of the breakfast bar.

"Yeah?" she replied without looking away from the task at hand.

"Is it weird to you that I feel more comfortable with you already than I did in my last couple of relationships?"

Now Sonya looked at Mandy, wanting her to see sincerity in her eyes. "No, it's not. I do get why you asked, though. I'm sure some people from the outside looking in would say it was weird. But the only two people who matter are me and you. I can honestly say that I have connected with you in a way that I don't think I ever have with anyone before. Last night felt so right to me, there's no way I'm going to question it. I guess sometimes the magic just happens. Who cares about arbitrary timescales?"

"I feel exactly the same way," Mandy said. There was love in her eyes, even if it was too soon to put that emotion into words. "I feel like we've stumbled into something very special. I feel happy around you. I trust you."

"I trust you too, and you make me very happy," Sonya said. With that, she put on the pair of blue rubber gloves that Mandy had left lying next to the sink that morning and started working on washing the cutlery they had used.

Mandy hopped down off the breakfast bar and walked up behind Sonya, putting her arms around her waist.

"Mmm," Sonya purred contentedly, liking the embrace.

"There's something I want to trust you with," Mandy said softly into her ear. "I want to tell you, but I don't want you to think I'm weird."

"Unless you're about to tell me you like eating tofu, I think we'll be okay," Sonya said, making light of it to try and put Mandy at ease with whatever was on her mind.

The laugh Mandy gave was a nervous one. "No, we're safe on that one. Uh, you remember this morning when I said I thought you looked sexy in your cleaning outfit? I was serious, and it was because I kind of, uh, have a bit of a fetish for rubber gloves."

"Oh," Sonya said, a little surprised. She stopped washing up and turned around to face her lover, glancing briefly at her hands.

"You think I'm weird now, don't you?" Mandy asked sadly.

"No," Sonya replied without hesitation. "We all have our kinks and fetishes. Rubber gloves seems like quite a mild one to be honest with you. Do you know why it's a thing for you?"

"Yeah, I think I do," Mandy said, her cheeks reddening. "The first time I kissed a girl, she was a friend of mine, Abi. Abi and I had been friends for years, and I'd always had a crush on her. Like, I knew I had to be gay, I crushed on her so hard. Naturally, I never knew or expected that she felt anything in return. Then this one night her parents invited me over for dinner. After the meal, her mom said since she did the cooking, Abi could wash up, and I could help her. We got to work, and we randomly started splashing each other with water, having fun, you know? Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, we locked eyes and we just knew we were going to kiss each other. She kissed me, and she held my face in her hands. It was the first sexual experience of my life with another girl, and it's still one of the most intense in my mind. I remember everything about it, every little detail."

"And while she had her hands on your face she was wearing rubber gloves," Sonya guessed.

"Right."

"Yep, that'll do it," Sonya said. "There's nothing odd about that at all. That's how kinks start for a lot of people. I guess all I can hope is that I'm a better kisser than Abi."

Taking Mandy by surprise, Sonya cradled her cheeks in her gloved hands and passionately kissed her. In moments, Mandy was moaning in pleasure into Sonya's mouth, literally shuddering in delight.

After a thoroughly intense minute-long kiss, Sonya pulled back a little and took her hands off Mandy's face. "How was that?"

"Mind-blowing," Mandy breathed. "Fuck, you're so hot. Such a great kisser, and an amazing lover."

"Good, because there's plenty more where that just came from. Let me finish these dishes, then we can really have some fun with these gloves."

Mandy nestled against Sonya and kissed her, looking totally besotted with her. "You turn me on so much, Sonya. Leave the dishes. Let's have the fun now."

Sonya felt herself getting turned on fast, simply by how much Mandy wanted her. She did, however, have a revelation of her own to make while they were on the subject. "You're such a temptress, Mandy Rose. But since we're talking about fetishes, I guess this would be the time to talk about one of my own."

"Please do," Mandy said openly. "I'm sure it's not as weird as mine."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Sonya said after a grunt of a laugh. "One of my first girlfriends liked me to be dominant in the bedroom."

"I've already picked up on that in you," Mandy said. "It's a bit of a new thing for me, but I do like it."

"She liked me to be more dominant than you've seen so far. She enjoyed me tying her to the bed and gagging her, and keeping her that way while we had sex. As I got used to doing it, I realised I got off on it as much as she did, albeit obviously on the opposite end of the scale."

"So you're saying you would enjoy tying me up and gagging me?" Mandy asked with a hint of nervousness in her tone.

"Yeah. Even hearing you say it is a huge turn on. But of course I wouldn't want you to do it if you're not comfortable with the idea. I realise it's something a lot of people wouldn't like…"

"I said I trust you, and I meant it," Mandy cut in. "I'm happy to try it, but what happens if I don't feel comfortable? If I'm tied up and I can't talk, how would I let you know?"

"Usually if someone is tied up, they'll have what is called a safe word," Sonya explained. "If they say the safe word, their partner unties them. Clearly that wouldn't work if you're gagged, but we can apply the same principal. My ex's solution was that if she wanted to 'safe word', she would started thrashing around and making a bunch of noise. It gets the message across easily enough, believe me."

Mindful of what Sonya had said moments earlier about being turned on by hearing her talk about being tied up, Mandy put an innocent expression on her face. "And what would you tie me up with, Sonya?"

Now it was Sonya who felt herself quiver in sexual excitement. Mandy knew exactly what to say and how to say it to get a reaction. "Given the choice, I prefer to use duct tape. It restrains and gags well, without being uncomfortable. But since we don't have any, I guess I'll have to improvise."

"Who said we haven't got any?" Mandy said coyly.

"You saying we have?"

Mandy took pleasure in taking Sonya's hand and leading her out of the kitchen. "Why don't we go and see what we can find? You never know, I might have something you will like."


	7. Chapter 7

Tossing Mandy's thong aside onto the floor, Sonya felt her pulse racing at the stunning sight on the bed in front of her. Mandy's naked body was such a treat to behold.

"Christ, you're so beautiful," Sonya breathed adoringly.

"I bet you'd like me even better if I was tied to the bed," Mandy said, speaking in the innocent tone that she had already realised she could use to fire her lover up at a moment's notice.

"Funny you should say that. I was thinking exactly the same thing. And look what we have here." Sonya picked up a half-used roll of silver duct tape from the end of the bed. They had found it in a small box of odds and ends that Mandy had brought with her when she had moved into the apartment.

Without needing to be told, Mandy put her right wrist up against one of the bed frame's bars. "You want to tie me like this?"

Sonya crawled up the bed, stretching a length of tape from the roll. "That's exactly what I want to do," she said eagerly. She stuck the loose end to Mandy's wrist and wound the roll around the frame a couple of times. She was experienced at applying bondage, able to find the sweet spot between secure and painful.

Tearing the roll free, Sonya repeated the process on Mandy's left wrist. In a matter of moments, her hands were out of action.

Testing her bonds, Mandy discovered that she was unable to move, and that she was secured well enough that struggling likely wouldn't achieve much of anything. "I can't move," she confirmed, saying it for the purpose of turning Sonya on. "I've never been tied up before."

"Then I bet you haven't been gagged, either?"

"I haven't," Mandy said, preparing herself to experience it for the first time. She did feel a little nervous about it, but she was willing to let herself go and trust Sonya.

Sonya gave her a fulsome kiss on the lips before tearing a long strip of tape from the roll. "I'll do it now. Remember, if you're not comfortable, start thrashing about and making noise. I'll untie you straight away."

"I don't want you to untie me. I want you to gag me and fuck me."

"I swear you're going to kill me, Mandy Rose," Sonya said, quivering in delight. "Okay, let's put this on you."

Mandy closed her mouth and pursed her lips invitingly just before Sonya pressed the tape over them. She used her fingers to smooth it down, making sure it sealed nice and tight.

"Mmmm," Mandy sighed quietly, looking at Sonya with wide defenceless-looking eyes.

"You're a great actress," Sonya said, lusting for her more and more by the second. "To make sure that tape doesn't come off, I'm going to use my preferred method. Trust me?"

Mandy didn't know what she meant, but she made a muffled sound to give her consent.

Stretching more tape from the roll, Sonya stuck it to Mandy's cheek and proceeded to wrap it around her head, pulling it tight over her already sealed mouth.

Gasping in surprise, Mandy felt her gag was now much tighter, pressing in on her cheeks. She hadn't tried yet, but she felt like Sonya knew it wouldn't be coming off until she chose to remove it.

"You okay?" Sonya asked, being cautious as it was Mandy's first time.

"Mmm hmm," was the muffled response.

"Perfect," Sonya said, surprising Mandy by getting off the bed. "Give me like, two minutes. I'll be right back. There's someone I need you to meet. Two minutes, I promise."

Furrowing her brow in confusion, Mandy didn't bother attempting to say anything as Sonya walked out of the room. She didn't know what was going on, and attempting to move her wrists confirmed that there wasn't much she could do about it.

Focusing on breathing calmly, Mandy tried to listen to what was going on. She could hear Sonya moving around in the next room, going through her possessions.

A couple of minutes later, as promised, Sonya made her way back to the bedroom. She was now dressed only in her best black lace underwear set, and had put her hair up.

Reaching the bedroom doorway, Sonya stood and looked at her bound and gagged lover. "Well, hello," she said in a firmer voice than usual. "My name is Daria. I'm Sonya's alter ego, and in case you haven't figured it out yet, which I'm sure you have, I like to tie up my lovers before pleasuring them."

"Dmmia?" Mandy moaned into the tape, squirming in anticipation of what the beautiful goddess in front of her might be about to do.

"Yes, Daria," Sonya said. "You know, Sonya mentioned to me something you said to her. Something like, 'Put your hair up and square up?' I think I prefer, 'Put your hair up and tape up.' It fits much better, don't you think?"

Sonya revelled in the excited noises coming from Mandy, who clearly very much approved of the Daria roleplay. She didn't even know yet that Daria was actually her middle name.

Now that she had set the scene and built up the excitement, Sonya knew it was at last time for them to get what they both wanted. She enjoyed pleasuring a bound and gagged girlfriend almost as much as they enjoyed it themselves. And on this occasion, she had one more thing to help her heighten the pleasure even more for Mandy.

"What do we have here?" Sonya said, walking over to the bed. The rubber gloves that she had been wearing when they had first come into the room were sitting on the end of the bed. She picked them up, attention on Mandy for her reaction.

Mandy's breathing quickened and she whimpered longingly, eyes wide in anticipation.

"You like these, huh?" Sonya asked as she put the gloves on.

"Mmmmph," Mandy moaned, frustrated in the extreme that she could do nothing more than lie there and wait.

"Luckily for you, like I said, Daria enjoys pleasuring her captives," Sonya said as she got on the bed. She could easily have put a hand straight between Mandy's legs, but wanted to make her wait for that.

Instead, Sonya moved to straddle Mandy. Leaning forward, she began to kiss Mandy's neck while simultaneously massaging her breasts and pinching her nipples, knowing that she would be getting off on the feel of the gloves on her skin.

Sonya kept that up for several minutes, revelling in the moans of pleasure coming from her lover. Eventually, she sat up. "You sound like you're ready to come?" she said in her Daria voice.

"Plmmm," Mandy begged, urging Sonya with her eyes as best she could.

"Alright, I'll make you come. But I want it to be good. I want to see you squirt."

Mandy made another pleading noise, spreading her legs for Sonya's easy access.

"Another good thing about these gloves?" Sonya said thoughtfully. "These textures they've got on the fingers. I bet they'll help me get you off even better."

Sonya slipped a couple of fingers into Mandy's soaking wet entrance and started with the vigorous action that she was accustomed to using with a lover who was more than ready to come.

Before long, Mandy was moaning loudly into her gag, straining against her bonds and convulsing as her orgasm approached.

"That's it. Come," Sonya ordered.

Mandy complied, crying out in ecstasy. Sonya was still relentless, continuing to finger her, pushing her further over the edge until fluid was squirting all over her hand and the bed cover.

"There we go," Sonya said. "Good girl. You came just like I told you to. But Daria isn't satisfied with one orgasm. No. Tonight, you're going to come over and over until you can't come any more."

* * *

The next morning, Sonya couldn't stop thinking about the night before. She and Mandy had such a good connection with each other already, it really was quite remarkable. Although they hadn't said it, it felt like true love.

The only problem was that after two days of brutal training and two nights of nonstop sex, Sonya felt like she was running on empty by the time they arrived at the Performance Centre. That night, there was going to need to be a lot less fucking and a lot more sleeping.

Upon arrival, the group of ten trainees were all greeted in the reception area by Coach Paige, who told them to go through and assemble in the main hall. They had been told the day before that they were going to do something different, it was just a question of what it was going to be.

With the group all ready and waiting, Paige entered the hall with William Regal walking beside her. There was no sign of the other coaches.

"What's this about?" Sonya asked quietly, referring to Regal's presence. He was dressed in a suit, so he plainly wasn't going to be getting in a ring to train them.

"Promo class, I bet," Dakota said.

"Oh, that makes sense," Mandy said. "I've been looking forward to that."

Sonya had too. Coming in with a background in acting, she figured that promos would be an area where she was a step ahead of some of some of the other recruits.

"Okay, good morning everyone," Paige said, standing in front of them with Regal beside her. "I'm sure I don't have to introduce you to William Regal. He's the NXT General Manager on-screen, and here at the Performance Centre, he's our promo coach. Today, you'll be taking turns to work with him one on one. Meanwhile, the other nine people will be working over there." She pointed to a far corner of the room, where one of the rings had been completely dissembled. A couple of men in black jeans and NXT t-shirts were standing by it. "You'll be learning how to put together a ring."

"And make sure you pay attention," Regal said. "Because we have TV tapings at Full Sail tonight, and you'll be the ones setting up the arena."

Murmurs went around the group, mainly positive in nature. Sonya looked forward to it. She was not afraid of hard work, and being at Full Sail for TV tapings for the first time would be awesome. She hoped they would get the chance to meet the NXT roster, who had obviously been told not to come to the Performance Centre for the past few days while the recruits settled in.

"Amazing," Mandy said quietly to Sonya. "I hope we get to meet people, especially Bayley. She's so awesome."

Sonya hadn't watched much of NXT before signing for WWE, but she knew Bayley was the current NXT Women's Champion, one of the best talents on the brand, one of the most popular up and coming stars, and by all accounts one of the nicest people you could possibly meet. "I hope so too," she said.

"Alright, let's get to it," Paige said. "First up with Mr Regal, why don't we have..." She looked around the group, considering who to pick. "Sonya. The rest of you, with me."

Wow, me first, Sonya thought excitedly as she stepped forward.

"Sonya, follow me," Regal said with a smile as they met for the first time.

They made small talk as they walked across the main hall, through the gym and through a door to the area where the offices were. Regal opened the first door in the hallway they entered, and held it open for Sonya to follow him in.

Walking into the room, Sonya found it was quite small, and contained nothing but a comfortable office chair. Regal took a seat in. "Stand over there, please," he said, motioning opposite him.

Sonya felt a little self conscious as she moved over to the requested place. It suddenly felt like an audition rather than a class. She realised that was deliberate. The idea, after all, was to teach them to speak confidently in front of people.

"As I'm sure you're aware, being able to cut a good promo is a vital part of being a successful WWE superstar on the main roster," Regal said. "As part of your training, I'm going help you learn how to do it to the best of your ability. I put it like that because with the best will in the world, some trained athletes are not good or charismatic speakers. Others have a real, natural talent for it. Either way, I'll help you realise your full potential."

"Sounds good," Sonya said, trying to project confidence without sounding arrogant.

"Why don't you tell me what it means to you to become an NXT superstar?"

"It means a lot to me. It's an opportunity..."

"I meant cut a promo and tell me what it means to you," Regal cut in, a friendly smile on his face. "Look at me. Pretend I'm the cameraman filming you."

Sonya laughed at her own expense. "Of course, sorry." She changed her tone to speak more loudly and clearly, as if to a TV audience. She thought up what she wanted to say as she went. "This is my first week as an NXT superstar. It's the start of what I hope will be a long journey for me, but at the same time, it's also the end of a journey. I've moved from New Jersey to Florida, to LA, and now back to Florida. I've waited tables. I've tended bars. I've trained eight hours a day to try and make it as an MMA fighter. And after all of that? I ended up broke and facing the prospect of living in my car. So what does it mean to me to be here in NXT? It means everything. It is the only chance I have to put a roof over my head. It is the only chance I have to make something of my life. It is a chance I can't afford to waste, and I will not waste it."

Regal had listened with his face impassive, but as soon as she was done he nodded his approval. "Sonya, that's a very good start."


	8. Chapter 8

Arriving at Full Sail University for the first time was quite a moment for Sonya, and she could tell that Mandy felt the same way. Some day, with a lot of hard work and a bit of luck, they would be showing up here every few weeks to take part in NXT TV tapings themselves.

For now, though, they were on the very bottom rung of the ladder. Their purpose for being there was not to wrestle, it was to help put the ring together and set up the arena for the show. Sonya knew that it was part of what was known as paying dues, and she had no problem with doing so at all. Whatever she had to do make it in WWE, she would do.

The thing Sonya and Mandy were both looking forward to the most was the chance to meet the members of the active NXT roster for the first time. They had been talking about it nonstop since they had finished training earlier in the day. William Regal had told both of them they had made a good start to the promo classes, which had helped to put them in good moods.

The backstage area at Full Sail was small, which meant that finding the women's locker room was a simple task. Opening the door and leading Mandy inside, Sonya saw that they were the first two recruits to arrive. As if that wouldn't have made her feel awkward enough, the entire NXT women's roster were there, presumably having been given an earlier call time.

"Uh, hi," Sonya said shyly, which was uncharacteristic for her.

Becky Lynch happened to the one standing closest to the door, so she was the first to greet the new arrivals. "Hello. Good to meet you. I'm Becky," she said in her strong Irish accent.

"Sonya Deville," she said with a smile. "And this is Mandy Rose."

"I thought we moved away from people like her when Vince McMahon retired," Sasha Banks said at the far end of the room, referring to Mandy and speaking to just loudly enough to ensure that everyone heard her.

Six months earlier, in a move that had shook the wrestling world to its core, Vince McMahon had decided to retire, and instead of leaving his shares in WWE to his children as everyone had expected, he had sold a controlling interest in the company to an English businesswoman by the name of Lucy Thorne. Under Thorne's ownership, Hunter Helmsley and Stephanie McMahon had stayed on in their existing jobs. The new boss had wisely left Hunter in charge of NXT, recognising the great job he was doing with the developmental brand.

Sasha's unpleasant comment was clearly a jab at Mandy's appearance, making reference to days gone by, when Vince had hired female wrestlers for their looks, not their in-ring abilities. It was a remark that Sonya deeply resented. She wanted to stand up for her lover, but she knew that making a scene moments after showing up would be a bad career move. Glancing at Mandy, she saw her thinking the same thing.

"Don't be like that, Sash," Bayley said, also at the far end of the room. She walked forward, smiling at Sonya and Mandy. "Hi, I'm Bayley. Come in, please. You guys have lockers in the back corner here."

"Nice to meet you, Bayley," Mandy said, ignoring Sasha's comment. "Do I have Trish's old locker? I do at the Performance Centre."

"Yeah, you're over here next to Lacey."

"Which one was Clementine's locker?" Sonya asked.

"Clem was next to Trish," Bayley said as they followed her over to the lockers.

Lacey Evans gave them both a welcoming smile. "You guys are giving me flashbacks right now. It doesn't seem like five minutes since I was walking in here not knowing anyone. Don't worry, none of us bite. Well, maybe Sasha does sometimes." It was supposed to be a joke, but after the comment about Mandy, Sonya didn't find it funny.

Kairi Sane was next to come over and introduce herself, followed by another woman Sonya had been wanting to meet, Shayna Baszler.

"Sonya, I'm looking forward to working with you," was Shayna's opener, taking Sonya by surprise.

"Really?" she asked.

"Yeah. I saw one of your fights. Your second one, I believe. You won by knockout."

"Yes, that was my second fight," Sonya confirmed.

Shayna nodded. "It'll be good to have someone else with an MMA background to work with. I figure we could put on one hell of a fight somewhere down the line."

"I was kind of hoping for that to happen, so it means a lot to know you were thinking the same thing."

With Mandy chatting away to Lacey, apparently quickly making a friend, Sonya stood and talked to Shayna for a while about their backgrounds in MMA fighting. Shayna provided some knowledgeable insight into how Sonya could take the skills she had already learned and adapt them into her move set in wrestling. It was advice that Sonya greatly appreciated, knowing full well that any chance to learn from someone more experience than her was not a chance she should pass up.

"On one of the shows we're taping tonight they're announcing me as the one to face Elena D'Agostino in her debut at the next Takeover," Shayna said eventually.

As probably the biggest names in women's wrestling never to have appeared in WWE during her career, D'Agostino had recently been snapped up by NXT when her contract with a rival promotion had expired. The news had only been made public a couple of weeks ago, with the announcement being greeted with a lot of hype by fans online. Sonya could only hope that one day the name Sonya Deville could illicit that kind of reaction. It was something to aspire to for sure.

"That'll be something to see," she said in response to Shayna. "You guys will tear the house down, I'm sure."

"Thank you, I do hope so," Shayna said. "I'm hoping for a run with the title soon, and giving me this opportunity shows that I may be in the picture soon."

"No, hands off!" Bayley said good-naturedly, having overheard. She picked up her NXT Women's Championship and hid it behind her back, drawing laughter from Sonya, Shayna, and also Sasha Banks. At least Banks is nice to someone, Sonya thought.

While the conversation had been going on, the other three recruits had arrived. Sonya discovered that Zelina Vega actually knew Bayley and Kairi. Apparently they had already worked together elsewhere. It was another reminder that while Zelina was part of the group of recruits, she was no rookie like the rest of them.

About fifteen minutes later, a female crew member wearing an NXT shirt entered the locker room. "I need the five people working with the ring crew to come with me, please."

Mandy looked at Sonya and smiled. "Let's see how much of a mess we can make of building a ring."

Sonya had to laugh. "I'm actually good at DIY. Maybe I'll surprise them."

"Don't surprise them too much, they might put you on the ring crew full time," Lacey said, making Sonya and Mandy laugh.

Heading out of the locker room, Sonya felt very pleased overall with the way things had gone in there. With the exception of Sasha, the recruits had been welcomed figuratively with open arms. The women could not have done more to make them feel at ease. It was a very encouraging start.

* * *

It turned out that it didn't take ten people all that long to put together a ring, especially with a bunch of crew members on hand to give advice and step in if anything was done incorrectly.

"That went well," Mandy said to Sonya when they were done, standing back and surveying their handiwork.

"Watch it fall to bits half way through the taping," Sonya replied.

Mandy laughed. "Don't say that! Imagine how much shit we would get in."

Sonya shrugged. "I'd blame the crew members."

"That's awful!" Mandy said laughing again. "But yeah, I'd blame them too."

With the small arena now prepared for that night's event, the recruits were given permission to head back to the locker room. They were to be allowed to watch the TV tapings from there, experiencing for the first time what went on during a show. It was all part of the learning experience, and as with everything else, Sonya was looking forward to being a part of it.

One thing Sonya realised she did need as they walked back into the locker room was a drink. She hadn't had anything since she and Mandy had left their apartment. "I could kill for a cup of coffee," she said to her lover. "Would you like me to fetch you anything?"

"Oh, yeah. Coffee, please," Mandy said. "I'll take it black, no sugar."

"Alright, coming up." Turning to Bayley, Sonya said, "Hey, can you tell me where catering is?"

Bayley was happy to do so. "Left out of the door, on your left at the end of the hallway. You can't miss it."

"Thanks. Can I get you anything?"

"No, I'm good, thank you," Bayley said with a smile.

Sonya walked across the room and out of the door, wondering if the coffee was going to be good. Although recently her financial situation had forced her to settle for what she could afford, she was by nature something of a coffee snob. It was her mom's fault, due to the fact that she had only ever bought expensive coffee back home in New Jersey.

Turning to the left, Sonya froze in her tracks as she set eyes on one of the last people she had expected to see at Full Sail for the tapings. Lucy Thorne, the new Chairwoman of WWE, was walking towards her with a cup of coffee in one hand and a phone in the other. The boss was reading something on the device, but she noticed Sonya enter the hallway and looked up, making eye contact.

Sonya was face to face with one of the richest and most powerful women in the world, at least as far as she knew. What she did know for sure was that Thorne had paid whatever astronomical sum it had taken to acquire a controlling interest in WWE basically because she liked the idea of owning the company and 'making wrestling great again', as she had put it. The choice of phrase could have been chosen better, in Sonya's opinion, but the sentiment behind it had been positively received by all, as had the changes to the product that had started to be made.

"Afternoon," Lucy said. Switching her phone into the same hand as her coffee cup, she approached Sonya and offered a handshake, along with a warm, genuine smile. "Your name is?"

"Sonya. Sonya Deville," she answered. Although the greeting had been perfectly pleasant, Sonya felt unusually shy for second time that afternoon, this time at finding herself unexpectedly talking to the boss. The black business suit Thorne had on was likely worth more than all of Sonya's possessions combined. The silver watch on her wrist or her the silver ring with a dark blue diamond that she was wearing on her right index finger most definitely were. How the other half live, Sonya thought.

"Lucy Thorne," the boss said, continuing in the same pleasant manner as they shook hands.

"Nice to meet you. I'm one of the new NXT recruits," Sonya said, unsure if Lucy would be aware of that or not. She also couldn't help thinking that Lucy was a very attractive lady. She had long dark hair, striking blue eyes and a very pretty face. Then there was the English accent which sounded awesome to Sonya. If there was a Mr Thorne, he was a lucky guy.

"Yes, I know," Lucy said. "You started with us on Monday. How are you finding it so far?"

"I'm learning a lot," Sonya said positively. "The Performance Centre is amazing, and Coach Paige and Coach Purrazzo are so good at teaching us."

"That's what I like to hear," Lucy said, smiling. "What have they had you doing so far? Embarrassingly, I have no idea how wrestling training starts."

"We've done body slams, we've run the ropes, and we've done promo class. Oh, and we did a bleep test."

Lucy cringed. "Rather you than me. Bleep tests are the absolute worst."

Given the chairwoman's relaxed demeanour, Sonya decided to risk attempting some humour of her own. "So you're saying we're not going to see you in the ring one day?"

Thorne smiled. "I didn't say that. You won't see me doing a bleep test though, that's for bloody sure. So, any idea when you move on to character creation?"

"Not yet," Sonya said with a shake of her head.

"Well when they do, I want you to go for a hard hitting MMA fighter. Stick to what you know. I have high hopes for you. I have to get on, but I'm sure I'll see you again."

"I'll look forward to it," Sonya said politely as Lucy walked away. She was feeling a little dazed by everything she was able to read into that last part of the exchange. The boss had approached and asked her name, but knew she had an MMA background despite it not being brought up in the conversation. Had Thorne known who she was all along and gone through the formality of asking her name merely to make her feel at ease? Or had the name Deville rang a bell for her? And 'I have high hopes for you' was an amazing thing to hear from the woman who ran the company. Sonya realised she should have expressed gratitude, but she hadn't been able to properly process what she had heard in time.

Making her way into catering, Sonya found Coach Purrazzo in there, making herself a cup of some kind of tea.

"Hey, Coach," Sonya said as she approached.

"Oh, hi," Purrazzo said, turning to glance at her. "How are you getting on in the locker room?"

Thinking better of saying that Sasha Banks seemed like a bitch so far, Sonya said everyone had been great. "I just ran into Lucy Thorne on my way here," she announced.

"Oh, really? I haven't had the pleasure of meeting her. I know she was here, in a meeting with Hunter for a while. Apparently she's stopping to watch the tapings."

"Does she do that often?" Sonya asked, thinking it unlikely.

"It's the first time, I believe," Purrazzo said, finishing fixing her tea.

An even more chance encounter than I realised, Sonya thought. "She said she has high hopes for me," Sonya said, noticing that she sounded like a child who had been praised by the headmistress.

Purrazzo didn't look all that impressed by what she had heard. She struck Sonya as a good teacher, but a tough person to get close to. "You got signed to NXT. That means we all have high hopes for you, and the rest of your group. It's what you do with that opportunity that matters. Keep your head down, and keep working hard."

"Yes, Coach," Sonya said. Abruptness from Purrazzo or not, she took Lucy Thorne's words to heart. The boss saw something in her, and in the grand scheme of things, that meant a hell of a lot.

It was in that moment, fixing coffee in catering at Full Sail that it really dawned on Sonya for the first time. "I'm going to do this," she muttered to herself. "I'm going to be a wrestler. I'm going to own this, and I'm making it all the way to the main roster no matter what it takes."

Imagination starting to run wild, Sonya pictured herself in Lucy Thorne's office, conjuring up a picture of what it might look like. The boss was sitting opposite her with a smile on her face and a pen in her hand. On the desk was a new contract with Sonya's name on the front.

"Okay, Sonya, let's make it official. You're being promoted to the main roster," imaginary Lucy Thorne said in that fancy-sounding English accent.

Carrying two cups of coffee back to the locker room a few moments later, Sonya still had the imaginary contract signing on her mind. "One day, it's going to come true," she vowed. "And Mandy's going to be in there right after me to sign her contract."


	9. Chapter 9

Several weeks into the training program, Sonya could not have been happier with how things were going. Her body was getting used to the rigours it was being put through, and more importantly she felt like she was learning more and more every day. Coach Purrazzo and Coach Paige really were excellent teachers, as was William Regal in promo class.

In her personal life, Sonya was as happier than she had ever felt before. She and Mandy were now at the point where they described what they had as a relationship, at least in private. They hadn't told anyone else yet, not even their families. As far as anyone else knew, they were housemates, friends and colleagues.

As with every morning, the ten recruits started their session by assembling as a group in the main hall, to find out what was lined up for them that day. On this occasion, all four coaches were standing there in front of them, while the members of the current NXT roster worked with each other in several of the rings. The recruits were now used to sharing training time with their hopefully soon-to-be NXT roster colleagues when they were not on the road for NXT live events.

"Good morning," Coach Bloom began. "Today you'll be doing something you haven't done so far. You'll be in the padded ring, working with Coach Kendrick and Coach Purrazzo on moves from the top rope."

Murmurs of excitement went around the group. "I've been looking forward to this," Mandy said to Sonya.

"Me too," she replied. While Sonya didn't see herself ever being a high flier, that didn't meant she wouldn't enjoy taking part in the lesson.

"I know this is a session a lot of you have been waiting for," Bloom said. "I have more good news, too. We're also going to start doing something else you've been looking forward to. The guys will be sitting down one on one with me, and the women will be sitting with Paige. We'll be working on creating your characters."

More excited chatter started in the group, including Sonya and Mandy. They had talked about their character creation between themselves many times, meaning that they had ideas ready to put forward. Sonya was also keen to keep Lucy Thorne's advice in mind. The boss wanted to see an MMA fighter character. With that in mind, going with something else would be foolish.

"Zelina, you'll go with Paige now, and Seth, you'll come with me," Bloom said. "The rest of you, follow Coach Kendrick and Coach Purrazzo to the padded ring. You'll be summoned when it's your turn for character creation. Anyone who doesn't get seen today will be seen tomorrow. Any questions?"

There were none, so Coach Bloom dismissed the group and headed off in the direction of the offices with Seth Rollins by his side.

Sonya spent the morning working with the rest of the women, enjoying practicing some simple moves from the top rope. She noticed that Charlotte Flair's extraordinary athleticism helped her a lot. For such a tall girl, she really could move gracefully through the air. It was something to behold, but Sonya knew better than to be jealous. Wrestlers came in all shapes and sizes, with all types of backgrounds. Charlotte was a gymnast. Sonya was a fighter. No one expected to see an MMA fighter doing moonsaults off the tope rope. Equally, they didn't expect to see a gymnast punching someone's lights out.

Every day, there was an hour break for lunch. The trainees were permitted to go upstairs to the kitchen and lounge, where they could cook and eat meals that they brought with them. On this particular day, the lunch break happened to coincide with Mandy's session with Coach Paige, meaning that she came upstairs more than fifteen minutes later than Sonya, who was sitting with Dakota Kai, rapidly demolishing a chicken salad.

Before coming upstairs, Mandy had retrieved a matching salad from her bag. She brought it over to the table and sat down next to Sonya.

"You guys even have matching salads," Dakota said in place of a greeting. "Serious friendship goals."

"Either that or it was all we had time to throw together this morning," Mandy said with a chuckle, deliberately playing down what Dakota had said.

"So how did it go?" Sonya asked Mandy, referring to her character creation session.

"Well," Mandy reported with a smile. "Like we said the other day, I thought it best that I was open with Paige, admitting that I expect a lot of people to judge me based on my looks when they first see me working events, or later on TV. We already experienced it with Sasha Banks that first time we met her, so god knows what the fans will say about me. Paige's advice was to embrace it and use it to build my character, so I'm going to be 'God's Greatest Creation, Mandy Rose'. It'll be what she called a blonde bombshell character."

"I love that nickname," Sonya said, annoyed that with Dakota sitting there she couldn't wax lyrical about Mandy's stunning looks.

"It is good," Dakota agreed through a mouthful of the sandwich she was eating. "What have you got for a finish?"

"A double underhook facebuster. It's going to be called A Bed of Roses."

"Love that name too," Sonya said. "I'm really pleased for you. Seems like you've got a great character put together."

"Thank you," Mandy smiled sweetly. "And guess what? You're up next, after break."

With that in mind, Sonya spent the rest of the lunch hour running through what she was going to say to Paige in her mind. By the time she followed Mandy's directions down to the office where Paige was waiting, she felt prepared.

Knocking lightly on the door, Sonya opened it and walked into the office, finding Paige sitting behind a desk with a bottle of water and a ham and pineapple pizza in front of her, eaten all but a couple of slices.

"Oh, sorry. I'll come back when you're done," Sonya said.

Paige gestured to the leather-clad office chair in front of the desk. "Don't be silly. Have a seat and we can get started. Have a slice if you like."

"No, thank you," Sonya said politely as she sat down. She couldn't abide pineapple on pizza, and she wasn't going to sit there picking at it in front of the coach.

Paige took one more bite from the pizza slice she was eating, then got down to business. "As I'm sure you can imagine, between us as a coaching team we have seen the strengths and weaknesses in your work. What this is about is giving you a character to portray that plays to your strengths, hides your weakness, but most importantly, we want you to play a character that you're comfortable playing. It needs to feel natural for you, otherwise it will look forced when you're in the ring or cutting promos. Now, I'm sure you've put some thought into this yourself, so while I finish this pizza, I want you to tell me what your vision is for Sonya Deville."

"I'd like to stick to what I know, as much as possible," Sonya said, using the exact words that Lucy Thorne had said to her weeks earlier. They had been stuck in her head ever since. "I'm a hard-hitting, badass MMA fighter. I see my offense being a variety of kicking and punching striking attacks, with submissions holds worked in. I picture myself as a heel who comes to the ring looking like she's going to tear anyone she comes across limb from limb."

Paige nodded thoughtfully while chewing on a bite from her last slice of pizza. "And your finish would be what?" she asked after a moment.

"A submission of some kind. I was thinking maybe an ankle lock?"

Eventually Paige was done eating. She took a hit from her bottle of water, and was then ready to give her thoughts. "You're not far away from what we were thinking, which is good. Unsurprisingly, given your background, your kicks and punches are possibly the best of the five women you're training with. You're well built, and with your hair up like that you look… fierce, I want to say."

"I'll take fierce," Sonya said with a big smile. "Fierce is good."

"It is for a heel, which is how we see you. You have the look of a heel. Please, take that the right way."

"No, I appreciate the comment," Sonya said openly.

"Regarding your in-ring style, I agree that your strength is in your striking. You've shown a wide and varied range of kicks already, and they can make up a big part of your arsenal. We'll work together to add some suplexes and slams, but it sounds like you already know most of what you should be doing. For a finish, I'm thinking of something like a triangle armbar, or maybe a chokehold. Something like the Tazzmission."

"This is awkward. I don't know what that is," Sonya had to admit.

"That's okay," Paige said, taking it in her stride. "It's a judo chokehold. I forget the actual name of it. Anyway, I can teach it to you tomorrow. We'll see how you go with and if you like it, then we can make a decision."

"Sounds great, thank you," Sonya said.

"We want you to use your real name. We think Sonya Deville is a very good name for a wrestler. We did consider calling you Daria, but on balance, we prefer Sonya Deville."

"Me too," Sonya said, thinking that Daria only came out to play in the bedroom, picturing Mandy bound and gagged on their bed. Shaking it off, she forced herself to focus on listening to the coach.

"The only other thing we need is a nickname for you. For example, we've agreed to call Mandy 'God's Greatest Creation'."

"Yes, she just told me," Sonya said with a broad smile. "It's perfect for her. I don't like the idea of people judging her ability as a wrestler based on her appearance, but…"

"It's going to happen anyway," Paige finished for her in a regretful tone.

"Yeah," Sonya sighed.

"You guys are close friends," Paige commented.

Sonya nodded, happy to leave her under that misapprehension. "We're housemates. I moved here with almost no money, nowhere to stay. I was going to sleep in my car until I was able to get a place somewhere."

"What?" Paige cried, eyes wide. "You should have said something when you signed, or to one of us when you got here. The company would have helped get you set up."

"I don't live on handouts," Sonya said simply. "I had a hard enough time with my conscience when Mandy offered me the chance to move into the apartment she'd just rented, since I couldn't contribute. I made her agree to let me pay her back."

"In a way, that's admirable," Paige said. "But if you find yourself struggling again, in any way, you make sure you speak to someone."

Sonya nodded, although she knew it wouldn't need to happen. She was settled in with Mandy now, and knew she wouldn't be going anywhere.

"Anyway, back to your character," Paige said after a sip from her water bottle. "What nickname are we going to give you?"

"In MMA, I called myself The Jersey Devil."

Paige considered that for a moment before nodding her head. "That's actually very good. It works with your last name, you're from New Jersey, and The Jersey Devil is a 'real thing'," she said with air quotes.

"My dad helped me to choose it," Sonya said proudly. "I really would like to use it. It would mean a lot to me, and it would mean a lot to him."

"You're close to your dad?" Paige asked. It was part of her job as one of the senior coaches to get to know her students on a personal level.

"Yeah," Sonya said, fighting off a wave of emotion as she thought about how long it had been since she had seen her family. She missed them all badly, and couldn't wait until WWE gave the trainees a few days off so that she could fly up and see them, hopefully with Mandy. "Dad has done a lot for me. He hasn't been afraid to tell me when he hasn't agreed with my choices or decisions, but he has been there for me nonetheless. Taking fighting, for example. He was against my decision to do it, but he supported me once he saw I was determined to have a go at it. He sat with me for like an hour on the phone talking over possible nicknames for me to use. And we came up with The Jersey Devil."

Smiling at the story, Paige said, "The Jersey Devil it is. And if we decide to go with the chokehold for your finish, we could call it The Devil's Grip."

"Yes!" Sonya said delightedly. "I love that. It's perfect. Teach me the hold tomorrow, and let's go with it. Thank you, Paige, this is amazing. I love it so much."

"You're welcome, and I'm glad you're enjoying it. It won't be long before you're having matches. That's where the real fun begins."

This is all getting so real, Sonya thought. Her in-ring debut felt like it was approaching so fast. "I can't wait," she said. It was the understatement of a lifetime.


	10. Chapter 10

It struck Sonya that she had never felt such a sense of nervous excitement in her life. Mandy had just parked their car in the area designated for talent and staff at the arena where they would be working their first NXT show in just a matter of hours. After more than two months of busting their asses six days a week in training, they were actually about to become wrestlers.

"This is it, Son," Mandy said affectionately, turning to look at her after killing the engine. "I'm so proud and happy to share this moment with you. I love you."

Sonya was taken aback for a moment. It was the first time those three words had been spoken between them. Although they had both known it for some time, it was something else to take the step of saying it, and it melted Sonya's heart. "I love you too, Mandy," she said leaning in for a kiss.

They sat there passionately smooching for a good couple of minutes. Luckily, since they hadn't checked, no one was in a position to see them.

"I'm living the best period of my life right now, and a massive part of that is because I'm with you," Sonya said when they eventually stopped kissing. "Thank you for being there for me, and for being a part of this journey. There's no one I would rather have by my side."

"I feel the same way," Mandy said, squeezing Sonya's hand. "This is going to be one hell of a ride, but we're on it together, the whole way."

"The whole way," Sonya promised solemnly.

Mandy pecked her on the lips. "We'd better get in there. We can come back to the kissing tonight."

"I'll hold you to that," Sonya said, her second promise in under a minute.

With that, they got out of the car and retrieved their travel cases from the trunk. Walking across the lot towards the entrance for talent, Sonya found herself thinking that tonight the show was going to be put on in front of a few hundred people, maybe a thousand at a stretch. In WWE terms, it was a humble beginning. One day, she could be performing in front of one hundred times that many people at Wrestlemania.

But that was a long way, likely years, in the future. Tonight, she simply had to hope she was booked to have a match. All ten members of the group Sonya was a part of, now referred to as trainees rather than recruits, had been instructed to be at all three shows over the Friday to Sunday period. They had been told that none of them would wrestle on all three shows, but everyone would get a match on at least one of them.

Walking into the building, Sonya and Mandy headed for the women's locker room. Before they got there, they came across a format for that night's show. Printed on a single sheet of paper with the NXT logo at the top, it listed all of the matches along with the time they were allotted. The name of each winner was underlined. There was no sign of Mandy's name on the list, but Sonya saw hers. She was booked in the third match of the night.

"Son, you're on the card!" Mandy squealed in delight. "And you've got Becky. Holy shit, that's incredible."

Sonya felt as delighted as her girlfriend. So much so that it took her a moment to process it. This really was the night. She was going to have her debut match, and with someone who was the closest thing NXT had to a seasoned veteran. Becky had been there at least a couple of years, and had wrestled all of her adult life before then, too. There was no better opponent Sonya could have chosen if the decision had been her own.

"You don't seem excited," Mandy commented, looking at her in surprise.

"No, I am. I'm just… a bit overwhelmed," Sonya said slowly, feeling herself tearing up.

"Oh, bless," Mandy said, embracing her and holding her tightly. "This is what you deserve, Son."

"Thank you," Sonya said softly into her ear. "But you deserve it just as much as me. I hope you're on the show tomorrow night."

"I'll get my time. This is your night. Let's enjoy it together."

Not for the first time, Sonya told herself how lucky she was to have found someone like Mandy. A truly loving, selfless partner was all anyone could ask for, and she was blessed to have one.

They released the embrace and walked the short distance to the locker room. As they entered, Sonya saw that most of the women were there before her and Mandy, even though they were early themselves.

One of the people in the room, already changed into her ring attire, was Becky Lynch. Seeing Sonya and Mandy enter, she made a point of walking over to greet them. "Hi, how are you?" she said to both of them.

"Good, thanks," Mandy said with a smile.

"I'm great," Sonya relied. "But a bit nervous, if I'm honest."

"I get that, we've all been there," Becky said kindly. "Why don't you get your stuff sorted out, then we can go find somewhere quiet and talk about our match?"

"Thank you, I'd like that," Sonya said appreciatively, realising that Lynch wanted to do whatever she could to make the big, daunting night easier for her. It was a level of professionalism that Sonya greatly appreciated.

Sonya led Mandy over to their lockers and set about taking her ring attire out of her case.

Glancing over at Becky, Mandy saw that she had struck up a conversation with Bayley. "That was so nice of her," she said quietly to Sonya. "She didn't have to come over like that."

"No, she didn't," Sonya smiled. "I'll make sure to thank her when I speak to her. I need to make sure I seem like I have a clue what I'm doing as well."

"Well, think about what you'd like to do in the match," Mandy said in a calm voice, doing her best to help. "You're booked to lose because you're the heel, and babyfaces always win at live events. That doesn't mean it has to be a squash. Hopefully Becky will be okay with you getting some offense in."

"I'd like to get a spear in," Sonya said while starting to get undressed. "Coach Purrazzo thinks I should use it as my signature move. And if possible, I'd like to get The Devil's Grip, even if Becky reverses it. I want as much match experience using it as I can get. Paige kept drilling it into me that I have to make it look like I'm really choking the life out of my opponent with it if it's going to be my finish."

As Sonya got dressed into her ring attire, Mandy chatted with her, being as supportive as she could. It helped a lot, and by the time she was changed, Sonya felt like her nerves had receded somewhat. She expected them to come back by the time she entered the arena for the match, but for now she had the confidence to go over to Becky.

"Have fun," Mandy said, giving her shoulder a squeeze.

Sonya nodded. "I'll do my best. Thank you for keeping me calm, Mandy. I'd be freaking out right now if you hadn't been here."

Mandy smiled. "No you wouldn't. You're stronger than you give yourself credit for. But if I helped, I'm glad."

"You definitely did," Sonya assured her.

Taking a deep breath, Sonya walked over to Becky, who was still chatting away to Bayley. "Hey, Becky. Could we maybe have that chat? How are you, Bayley?"

"I'm good!" Bayley said in her usual enthusiastic manner. "I'm so excited for you, too! You're going to love it tonight. Your first match stays with you for life."

"Then let's hope I can put on a good one," Sonya said, managing to find some humour despite the occasion.

"You'll be fine," Becky assured. "Come on, let's go and work out some details."

Together, Sonya and Becky walked out of the locker room and found a quiet part of the hallway to stand in while they talked.

"Before we start, I have to thank you for the way you came up to me when I arrived," Sonya said. "I was feeling a bit overwhelmed when I saw my name on the format, and you helped to put me at ease. I really do appreciate it."

Becky gave a relaxed smile. "There's nothing to thank me for. Like I said before, we've all been there. It's daunting to get started as a wrestler, but you're about to start the best job in the world. You'll have the time of your life once you get going. We're going to work matches together over the coming weeks, so I'll do whatever I can to help you get your first few matches under your belt. From there, you'll be gold."

"I can't tell you what that means to me," Sonya said. "I don't want this to come out sounding patronising, but I feel so lucky that they've put me with you."

"Shush, you'll make me blush," Becky grinned.

"So, you said we're working together over the coming weeks?"

Becky nodded. "That's right. We've got a couple of tours coming up. One around the Pittsburgh area and another one over in Texas. We're working together on them. Hunter likes to put the rookies, no offense, with the most experienced people. You've got me, Mandy has Bayley, Dakota has Sasha, and so on."

Poor Dakota, Sonya thought, doubting that this kind of conversation would be happening between those two. "What do we do, put the same match on each night?" she asked.

"We have to vary it up a bit," Becky explained. "But as we go, we'll build chemistry in the ring. I'll learn what you're good at, you'll learn what I'm good at, and we'll master taking each other's signatures moves. So, what is it that you do? I've not had the chance to see you work a match at the Performance Centre."

"I have based my character on an MMA fighter," Sonya said, now feeling comfortable talking to her new opponent. "My style is based largely on punches and kicks, lots of striking attacks with a few basic suplexes and slams mixed in. That's all I know so far," she added, wanting to cover herself.

"We can work with that," Becky said easily. "We only have five minutes for our match. It'll likely be the same every time we face each other on this run. It's not much time, and as you know, as the babyface I'll be going over every time."

Sonya nodded, knowing better than to be concerned about losing. This wasn't MMA.

"Even so, I'd like us both to look good," Becky went on, drawing yet more appreciation from Sonya. "Do you have any signatures yet? Have you worked on a finish?"

Smiling, Sonya was proud to say, "Yes, I have a finish and a signature. My signature is a spear, and my finish is a Kata-Ha-Jime."

"A what now?" Becky asked, with a broad smile that contained infectious humour and made Sonya laugh.

"A Kata-Ha-Jime. It's a chokehold. Paige called it a..." Sonya clicked her fingers a few times, willing her memory to play ball. Finally, it did. "A Tazzmission."

"Ah, okay, got it," Becky said immediately. "Never knew that other name for it. Well, I don't have a problem with you getting me in that. I'm sure you'd like to practice it?"

"I would, thank you," Sonya said, wondering if she sounded like an idiot saying it so much.

"Obviously I can't tap to it, so I'll have to reverse it somehow."

"Why don't we have it that in the process of struggling against me, you end up getting me on the mat and my shoulders are down," Sonya suggested. "I kick out at two, but I have to let you go as I do it."

Becky nodded. "That works for me. Then as we both get up I can transition into the armbar and you'll tap to it."

"Sounds like a plan," Sonya said. "Now I just need to be able to pull it all off in the ring."

"You'll be fine," Becky said, giving her a friendly slap on the shoulder as they began to walk back to the locker room. "And before you say it, you don't have to thank me again. All I ask is you remember this night when you've been in NXT for a year or two and you get to work with someone in their first match."

"I'll be there for them like you've been for me," Sonya vowed sincerely. She meant it, too. She had learned a lot about how to conduct herself as a wrestler on this night, and she would always owe Becky a lot for that.

Going back into the locker room, Sonya found Mandy chatting to Lacey Evans, who she was starting to form a friendship with.

"Oh, hey!" Mandy said, seeing her girlfriend walking over to her. "You know how I wasn't on the card tonight?"

"Yeah," Sonya said slowly, wondering where this was going.

"Well, it turns out I still have something to do. I was just told that I'm ring announcing! I'm so excited! I'll be out there for your match, and announcing will be so much fun."

"I was terrible at it when I had to do it," Lacey confessed. "I kept forgetting the towns I was supposed to introduce everyone as being from."

Mandy and Sonya laughed, then Sonya said, "I'm sure it'll be fun to ring announce."

"You'll find out tomorrow night, because all of us trainees are going to take a turn doing it, and tomorrow night it's you," Mandy informed her.

Wrestling tonight, ring announcing tomorrow, Sonya thought. She expected to enjoy the announcing, but for right now she had something much more important to focus on. The show would be soon be starting, and third on the card was the first ever Sonya Deville match.


	11. Chapter 11

"How are you feeling?" Becky Lynch asked. She had just walked with Sonya to the small area that passed for a Gorilla Position at NXT live events. There was an air of excitement about the Irishwoman, brought on by seeing her opponent about to take the very first step of what could potentially be, and hopefully would be a long journey in WWE.

"Nervous, again," Sonya admitted with a smile that conveyed the emotion she had just confessed to.

"I remember the feeling well," Becky said. "Trust me, once we get going in the match, you'll be fine. Stick to the disciplines you've been taught, pay attention to my calls, and ten minutes from now we'll be standing back here celebrating a successful debut."

"Thanks, Becky," Sonya said, for what felt like the millionth time that night. It was all she could do to try and express her undying gratitude for the amount of support she had been given on such a stressful night.

The road agent who was in charge of running the show came over and offered a few words of encouragement, then before she knew it, Sonya heard some unfamiliar low budget rock music playing in the arena. It wasn't Becky's theme. Then she realised with a shock that it had to be her own. She hadn't considered before now that she was going to have entrance music.

"Enjoy," Becky said, giving Sonya a slap on the back to encourage her to walk through the curtain.

Taking a deep breath, Sonya got into character. Putting a menacing expression on her face, she stepped through the curtain into an arena for the first time. Unsurprisingly, she received little to no reaction from the crowd of maybe five hundred people. Almost certainly, not a single one of them knew who she was, and would be none the wiser once her name was announced in a moment.

An entrance routine was something that Sonya had practiced ahead of time. Standing in front of the small stage, she went through a shadow punching routine before starting down the aisle.

"Put your hair up and square up, baby!" she shouted aggressively, pointing to her hair.

"This contest is set for one fall," Mandy said, performing her ring announcing duties. "Introducing first, from Shamong, New Jersey, Sonya Deville!"

As expected, there was no reaction. Sonya didn't let it phase her. She got into the ring and did another shadow punching routine. With that, her music faded out. It was time for Becky's entrance.

When The Irish Lasskicker's music hit, Sonya saw pretty much all of the fans in the arena come to their feet, cheering excitedly. Among NXT's women, Becky was one of the fan favourites, along with Bayley.

Pacing around the ring, staying in character, Sonya hoped that one day, as a heel, she could receive a reaction as negative as Becky's was positive. If that happened, she would know she was doing well beyond any shadow of doubt.

As Becky made her way to the ring, Sonya's pacing took her close to Mandy just after she announced Becky.

"Good luck!" Mandy said on her way out of the ring. She hadn't been able to add an expression of love because the referee was standing nearby. Even so, Sonya drew confidence from her words.

Entering the ring, Becky went over and posed on the middle rope. It was the last part of her entrance routine.

Sonya took another deep breath. In a matter of moments, the bell would sound and her first ever official match would be underway. "You've got this," she told herself quietly.

On opposite sides of the ring, the competitors locked eyes for the first time. Becky's music faded out, and the referee called for the bell.

At Becky's suggestion, Sonya was going to be the first one to get in some offense, so as it to make it clear from the off that this wouldn't be a two minute squash match.

Going into a tie up, Sonya forced Becky back into a corner of the ring, pressing her into the turnbuckles.

Grabbing Becky by the wrist, Sonya whipped her hard across the ring into the opposite corner. Following her in, Sonya hit a clothesline, knocking Becky down to the mat.

She had hit the move a bit stiffer than she might have liked, but it struck Sonya that this didn't feel any different to the practice matches she'd had with Coach Purrazzo and with Dakota Kai back at the Performance Centre. It was a pleasant realisation, and it helped her to settle into the match. Becky's advice had been spot on: focus on the disciplines you've been taught.

Four minutes later, the referee gave Sonya and Becky the cue to go home.

The finishing sequence began with Sonya hitting a spear, her signature move. To her delight, she felt like she delivered it pretty much perfectly. The best part of all was the cheer that Becky received for kicking out of the resulting cover. It told Sonya that some of the fans had actually believed she might win, and that meant a hell of a lot. She had managed to look like a threat to Becky Lynch, not someone who was simply there to take a pin for her.

Selling frustration at Becky's kick out, Sonya got up and remonstrated with the referee, demanding to know why he hadn't gotten a three count.

Attempting to capitalise on the moment of distraction, Becky got up and was ready with a kick to Sonya's stomach when she turned around.

Becky went for a suplex, but Sonya was able to counter as Becky lifted her, dropping down behind her back. Before Lunch could react, Sonya's arm was locked around her throat, applying the chokehold that would one day be known as The Devil's Grip.

Selling the move expertly, Becky flailed around desperately as if choking, while Sonya dropped to the mat.

Doing her best to look like she was strangling the life out of Becky, Sonya inwardly felt admiration for her opponents ability to sell as she apparently began to fade towards unconsciousness, appearing to desperately try and pull Sonya's arm from around her throat.

In one last attempt at self preservation, Becky arched herself back, leveraging Sonya down back first onto the mat, with her both of shoulders on the canvas. The referee got down to count what constituted a pinning combination.

"One!"

"Two!"

Sonya quickly popped her mat off the canvas, but in the process Becky was able to wriggle free, gasping for air.

Wanting to press the advantage she had, Sonya rushed at Becky again, but she was falling into a trap.

Taking Deville by surprise, Lynch swept her legs out from under her, and in a fluid transition found herself locking in the Disarm Her.

Screaming in pain, Sonya tapped out almost immediately, drawing a cheer from the fans as the bell sounded.

Becky relinquished the hold and got up to celebrate her victory.

"Here is your winner, Becky Lynch!" Mandy announced.

For her part, Sonya rolled out of the ring, holding her arm to sell the submission hold that had beaten her. Inside, she was over the moon. Her debut match had contained no serious mistakes, the fans had enjoyed it, and so had Sonya. It was a truly memorable experience, and she expected it to stay in her mind for a long time to come.

As a heel, acknowledging the fans wasn't something that Sonya could do. However, she greatly appreciated the few people who applauded her for her part in the contest.

"Well done," a man said as Sonya walked past him up the entrance aisle, heading for the back. It was a simple expression of praise, but it meant a lot to her.

Walking through the curtain to the back, Sonya found Seth Rollins and one of the established male NXT roster members waiting to go out for the next match.

"Great job, Sonya," Seth said to his fellow trainee, offering a brief hug.

"Thank you, Seth," she said as they embraced. "Wow, that was so much fun. I was so nervous, but I didn't need to be."

"No, you didn't. You knocked it out of the park."

"Thanks," Sonya said, moving off to one side to wait for Becky, who would be taking a bit of time to celebrate and get pictures with lucky fans at ringside. Such were the perks of playing a babyface.

A couple of minutes later, Becky came through the curtain. She approached Sonya straight away, a smile on her face. "Good match, Sonya. I enjoyed it. I hope you did too?"

Sonya figured the smile on her face had probably already answered that question by the time they embraced each other. "I loved it. You were right, once we got going I was able to shut out my nerves. Do you think I did okay?"

"You were great, especially for a first match," Becky said as they parted. "A bit stiff on your clotheslines, but apart from that it was like working with someone with more experience than you have."

"Thank you, that means so much to me," Sonya said proudly. They started walking back to the locker room, with Sonya still buzzing with excitement. "Anything else you can suggest for me to improve on for our next match?" she asked.

"Hmm," Becky said thoughtfully. "The only thing I can think of is your finisher. It's a good chokehold to use, and you're strong enough to make it look convincing. I would suggest you could make it even better if you got your legs around your opponent's waist. Lock them in your legs so that they're properly trapped, like a fly in a spider's web, while you throttle the life out of them."

"You're very good at painting pictures with words," Sonya said, able to see herself applying the move exactly as Becky had just described it, with Becky as the opponent fading away into unconsciousness.

"It helps with promos," Becky said. "Luckily they don't script you as much on NXT as they apparently do on the main roster. But yeah, try that with your finish and see how it goes. We'll do it in our next match if you like?"

"That would be great, thank you."

Reaching the locker room, Becky entered and held the door open for Sonya to follow her inside. "You don't have to keep thanking me. Here on NXT, it's part of our jobs to help each other grow, to reach our full potential. Speaking of, there is something I'd like to try in our next match. There's a new suplex I've been working on in training."

"Tell me about it," Sonya said openly.

They talked about Becky's new move for a couple of minutes before hitting the shows. Once they were dressed back in their regular clothes, they sat next to each other at Becky's locker for the rest of the show, chatting away about all things wrestling as well as getting to know each other on a personal level. In what felt like the blink of an eye, the show was over and Mandy walked back into the locker room.

"Thanks for the chat, Becks. I'm going to go see how Mandy got on," Sonya said, getting up from the bench.

"Sure," Becky smiled. "I'll be off soon anyway, so I'll catch you tomorrow night."

"See you," Sonya replied with a smile of her own, before heading over to her own locker, arriving there at the same time Mandy did. "How was ring announcing?" she asked her girlfriend.

"A lot of fun," Mandy said, smiling broadly. "I only screwed up a couple of times. I'd definitely be up for doing it again. I think you'll enjoy it tomorrow night."

"Not as much as I enjoyed tonight, I bet," Sonya said. "You're going to love your first match so much. Once you get started, it feels just like you're in there with Coach Purrazzo in training. At least, it did for me. Becky is so kind, helpful and easy to work with. She really guided me through tonight. I feel like I'll always be indebted to her for it."

"Aw, I'm glad you enjoyed it so much," Mandy said, obviously wanting to hug her, but holding back because they were in the locker room. "Bayley has been the sweetest to me, too. Not that that's a surprise. So yeah, I am very much looking forward to facing her tomorrow night. Tonight is about you, though. I felt so proud sitting there watching you."

"You guys are serious friendship goals. I can't relate," Charlotte said, having overheard them from a couple of lockers away.

Also standing nearby, Lacey Evans laughed at Charlotte's joke. "Don't worry, Char, I'll be your friend. Can't promise to be as good at it as Sonya and Mandy, but…" Her voice trailed off, and all four of them laughed.

While Charlotte and Lacey continued joking with each other, Mandy typed out a quick text message to Sonya. What she wanted to say couldn't be spoken out loud.

_I think we should celebrate when we get back to the hotel room. I'm sure Daria would like to end the night in the best way._

When Sonya's phone bleeped, she read the message and looked at Mandy with desire in her eyes. She decided it was best to reply to the message rather than saying anything out loud.

_Yes, Daria looks forward to it._


	12. Chapter 12

The training schedule for recruits at the WWE Performance Centre was gruelling to say the least. It had been nearly six months since they had moved to Florida, and they hadn't been given more than one day a week off in that entire period. Sonya felt absolutely burned out, and she missed her family like she never had before. She was sure that every one of the other nine people in her group felt the same way, too. Mandy definitely did. She had broken down a couple of times recently, struggling badly with going so long without seeing her dad, who she was particularly close to.

At the end of every week's final training session, Hunter Helmsley would address the group of trainees, assuming he wasn't away elsewhere on business. On this particular Friday, he began by calling for everyone's attention, asking them to come over to the ring in centre of the main hall. His use of the word everyone also included the coaches, who went and stood with him while the trainees began to assemble in a group in front of him.

"Alright, gather round. This won't take long," Hunter said in a relaxed manner.

Standing next to Mandy, Sonya stood there dripping with sweat, breathing heavily. She had been nearing the end of her stint of a particularly punishing drill session that Coach Purrazzo had been putting her through, after doing the same with Mandy and Dakota. Purrazzo certainly didn't go easy on her trainees, but she knew how to get the most out of people.

Often, Hunter would start his address with a bit of humour. This time was no exception. "Sonya, shall we give you a minute?" he said, drawing laughter from everyone.

"I'm good," Sonya said, sharing in the humour as she wiped sweat from her forehead.

Hunter moved on to talking about the week's training. It was all fairly standard stuff until he said, "I've got some news that I know you're all going to like. I've decided to give you next week off. Take a vacation, go home and see your families, do whatever you want. Report back here for training a week on Monday. Okay everyone, have fun." He made a hand gesture to dismiss the group of trainees.

"Oh my god, Son," Mandy said, covering her mouth and nose with her hands. Her eyes were filling with tears. "I get to go home and see my dad. I can't believe it. I've missed him so much."

Sonya pulled her into a hug. By now, every member of the group thought of them as best friends who were very close. It was an assumption that had been made, and Sonya and Mandy had done nothing to counter it. It meant that the sight of them hugging in an emotional moment was nothing out of the ordinary.

"I know you have," Sonya said delicately. "But now you can go and see him. Get a flight booked as soon as we get back to the apartment. He'll be delighted to see you. You should make it a surprise, too. Imagine how happy he will be if you show up unannounced."

Mandy pulled back and looked at her with wide eyes, loving the idea. "Yes! Yes, I have to do that." She paused for a second. "Son, will you come with me? I really want you to meet my dad, and I want him to meet you. I know you want to see your family, but this would mean the world to me."

Naturally, Sonya wanted to see her own parents while the chance was there. With them living in separate states these days, it would have been hard enough to fit much quality time with both of them into a week long vacation even without going to Westchester County with Mandy. But on the other hand, she knew full well how much Mandy's dad meant to her. She was the ultimate daddy's girl. Sonya wanted to make her happy, and she did want to meet Frank, Mandy's dad. They had spoken on the phone several times, and had gotten along very well from minute one.

As they followed the rest of the group in the direction of the locker rooms, Sonya made a decision. A compromise seemed to be the best way to go. "I'd love to come with you and meet your dad. But at the same time, I've been looking forward to seeing my mom and my sisters. I'm thinking we could fly up and spend a few days at your dad's place, then we could drive down to my mom's and stay there a few days before heading back here. I'd have to go and see my dad next time we get to have a vacation."

Mandy thought about it for a moment. Her heart had been set on a spending as much time with her dad as she could, but at the same time she knew it wasn't all about her. Sonya deserved to get time with her family, and was as excited to introduce Mandy to them as Mandy was to do the same with her. "Alright, it's a plan," she said. "You know I've been looking forward to meeting your mom and your sisters. It'll be a great time."

"Awesome, I can't wait," Sonya said as they approached the locker room. "When we get back to the apartment, we'll look at booking flights. Hey, it'll be our first vacation together."

That final thought gave Mandy a reason to get even more excited while they got undressed and hit the showers.

* * *

Less than an hour later, Sonya and Mandy were in their apartment, snuggled together on the couch, eating a light dinner that Mandy had prepared for them. Between them, propped on their legs, was Mandy's laptop. They were using it to browse airline websites for flights to New York, hoping to find a cheap last minute deal for the next morning.

"Hey, look!" Sonya exclaimed. "There's a flight tonight, and seats are going cheap. We could get that one if you wanted to?"

"Let's do it!" Mandy said excitedly. "We'll have to be quick, though, if we're going to make it."

Setting her plate aside, Sonya moved the laptop over to Mandy's lap and got up. "You put the flights on your card, I'll start packing some things for us. I'll transfer you money for my share later."

While Sonya rushed through to fetch their travel cases from the spare bedroom that they used for storage, Mandy started the process of purchasing the flights. "Sonya?" she called out.

"What?" came the reply from the direction of the bedrooms.

"I'd like to tell my dad that we're dating," Mandy called.

"How will he take it if we do?"

"Honestly? Knowing my dad, he would figure it out even if we didn't tell him. He's always been able to read me like a book."

"Okay, but I asked how you think he would take it?" Sonya called. "I know you've told me he was supportive when you came out."

"He was. Surprised, but supportive."

Sonya knew that both she and Mandy had been lucky in that regard. Some people had serious, even irreconcilable problems with the families or friends when coming out. Being gay simply wasn't something that some narrow-minded people could understand or come to terms with. Sonya had been helped further by the fact that one of her sisters was also gay.

Pulling the two travel cases out of the store room, Sonya left them in the hallway for a moment while she walked back towards the living room. She stood at the end of the hallway, smiling at Mandy. "Then we'll tell him," she said.

Mandy gave the mouse pad on the laptop an emphatic finger tap. "Flights are bought. Now we'd better make sure we catch them." She got up and walked over to Sonya, giving her a peck on the lips. "I'll be delighted to tell my dad that you're my girlfriend."

"And I'll be proud to be introduced as your girlfriend. Just remember to call me Sonya, not Daria."

"Oh, is Daria coming as well?" Mandy asked, immediately excited.

"Depends if there's a discreet time and place for her to show up," Sonya said coyly.

"I'll see what I can do," Mandy promised.

"Then I'll pack accordingly," Sonya said in her Daria voice, causing Mandy to quiver in delight.

Sonya reverted to speaking normally. "Come on, we'd better get on with it if we're going to make that flight."

* * *

It was nearly midnight by the time Sonya and Mandy arrived at Mandy's father's house.

"Here we are," Mandy said, slowing the car and indicating to make a left turn into a driveway. There were lights on in a couple of the upstairs windows of the house in question.

Sonya noticed that a hedgerow separated what looked like a modest two storey home from a row of several stores. The closest store to the house had its sign lit up, displaying the name 'Frank's Deli'. "That's your dad's deli, right next to the house?" she asked, although the answer was obvious.

"Yeah," Mandy smiled as she pulled into the driveway, driving as quietly as possible. "It's a short commute to work for him every morning."

Sonya laughed. "That's an understatement. I can't wait to have a look at the Deli tomorrow."

"Remember you said that. He'll have us working if we give him half the chance," Mandy warned her as she killed the engine and turned off the headlights.

"Really? I'd be up for that," Sonya said.

"Wait, seriously?" Mandy asked, turning to look at her.

"Yeah, seriously. I think it would be fun. You told me you liked working there, and us doing it together would be an experience."

"Honestly, I'd love it if we did," Mandy said, looking at Sonya with such a happy expression on her face.

"Then we will, assuming your dad doesn't find me too useless."

"You can't be too useless to package meat up for customers," Mandy said with a chuckle. "Let's go in and surprise my dad. I'll use my key so that we don't have to ring the bell. We'll really surprise him."

"So long as he doesn't come downstairs and shoot us, thinking we're robbing him."

"Good point. Maybe I'll call out to him once we're in," Mandy said. "Come on, let's go."

Being as quiet as they could, Sonya and Mandy got out of the car and approached the front door. Mandy inserted her key into the lock and turned it, still being as quiet as she could. She pushed the unlocked door open, and at that moment the hallway light inside was turned on. They clearly hadn't been as sneaky as they had hoped.

"Who is it?" Sonya heard a familiar deep voice call out from inside. There was no aggression in the tone, since Frank had heard the door being opened with a key. It was clear that this was no burglary.

"Dad, it's me," Mandy said, rushing inside.

Sonya was quick to follow, wanting to see Frank's reaction to his daughter's surprise visit.

"Amanda!" Frank cried, shocked and delighted to see her. They were already embracing each other tightly, standing at the bottom of the stairs. "Oh my god. Sweetheart, I had no idea you were coming."

"Neither did I until this afternoon," Mandy replied. "I missed you so much."

Sonya closed the door and stood near it, feeling emotional upon seeing how much it meant to Mandy and Frank to see each other again after so long. Frank wasn't what she expected Mandy's dad to look like. He was slightly shorter than her, was overweight, and had thinning black hair. He had what Sonya would have described as a genial appearance, especially dressed in a grey pyjama set. Looking over Mandy's shoulder, he set eyes on Sonya.

"You must be Sonya," Frank said.

Mandy moved aside, turning to gesture and smile in Sonya's direction. "Yes, sorry. Dad, this is Sonya. Son, this is my dad."

"Hi, Frank," Sonya said, stepping forward with a warm smile on her face. She received a bearhug that most professional wrestlers would have approved of, along with a very Italian peck on each cheek in greeting.

"Great to meet you at last," Frank said, a huge, infectious smile on his face. "You don't look how I pictured you when we've spoken on the phone. You look Italian, unless I'm mistaken in my old age."

"You should get Instagram or something, dad," Mandy said. "Then you'd know how people look before you meet them."

"I don't do phones or computers, you know that," he replied.

"You don't look old aged, and you're not mistaken," Sonya said. "I'm half Italian, just like Mandy."

"A real charmer," Frank said, laughing. "Definitely Italian."

"She's no Italian, she can't even cook," Mandy said playfully.

"Traitor!" Sonya said, feigning anger, making Frank and Mandy laugh.

"Speaking of food, would you like me to make you anything?" Frank offered. "If you had said you were coming, I'd have waited up for you and made sure I had a spread ready for when you got here."

"We're fine, dad," Mandy said after looking to Sonya for confirmation. "We just need a hand with our cases and a bed to sleep in." Immediately, she realised what she had said, as did Sonya and Frank.

"A bed to sleep in?" he asked, emphasising the singularity of the request and inviting her to elaborate.

Meanwhile, Sonya stood there with wide eyes and a nervous grimace on her face, looking at Mandy.

"Well, that's that cat out of the bag," Mandy said. "Dad, Sonya and I are dating."

"I suspected as much, hearing how you talk about each other and how you act with each other on the phone," Frank said. "You seem very happy, in fact you're glowing. That's all I need to know. Sonya, I need you to make sure it stays that way."

"You have a promise on that," Sonya assured him.

Mandy gave her dad a peck on the check, expressing her gratitude for his openness and acceptance. "We are very happy. In fact, I'm the happiest I've ever been. Sonya and I really are soulmates. We go everywhere together, we do everything together. So much so that she's already said she's willing to work in the Deli tomorrow."

"Oh, is she now?" Frank said, eyeing Sonya up as a potential staff member. "In that case, I had better make sure I feed you both well for breakfast."

"We're going to go back to Orlando with a few pounds to work off," Mandy promised Sonya.

"Bring it on," she said eagerly.


	13. Chapter 13

"One!"

"Two!"

"Three!"

"Good match," Coach Purrazzo said after getting the three count.

Sonya got up and offered her hand to the opponent she had just 'defeated' in a practice match. On this occasion it was Mandy she had been put in the ring with. Wrestling her girlfriend had felt very odd indeed, but it hadn't been unenjoyable.

Taking Sonya's hand, Mandy accepted the help to her feet and then hugged the victor. "Great job, Sonya."

"You've really got A Bed of Roses down perfectly now," Sonya said, patting her on the back to make sure the hug looked friendly in nature, not affectionate. She and Mandy had been in a relationship for almost a year now, and incredibly neither their fellow trainees nor the coaches who worked with them knew about it. Everyone believed they were close friends and housemates, and they were happy to allow that belief to continue, figuring that their relationship was no one's business but their own.

The end of the practice match had brought that day's training session to a close. Sonya was looking forward to hitting the showers as she turned to leave the ring.

"Right, before you go anywhere, Hunter wants a word with the two of you," Purrazzo said.

Sonya and Mandy stopped in their tracks. The way the words had been spoken hadn't exactly sounded positive. Glancing at Mandy, Sonya saw an expression that showed she was thinking along similar lines. This didn't seem good. Were they in trouble for something?

"What about? Have we done something wrong?" Mandy asked.

Purrazzo shrugged. "Don't ask me, I just work here. I was told to tell you to go and see Hunter after the session. You'll find him in his office." She knew they didn't need to be told where to find it.

"I guess we'd better go," Sonya said to Mandy as they left the ring.

"The coach annoys me sometimes," Mandy said once they were a suitable distance away from Purrazzo, who had gone in the opposite direction towards the locker rooms. "She's so hard to talk to. Like, would it have been so hard for her to find out for us what this is about?"

"She's not here to be our friend," Sonya pointed out. "She's here to train us to wrestle, and she's damn good at it. I feel like I'd rather sit down over a bottle of wine with Paige, but if I wanted wrestling lessons I'd go with Deonna for sure."

"I guess you're right," Mandy admitted. "So, what do you think Hunter wants us for?"

"I don't know," Sonya said, shaking her head. "I can't think of anything we might be in trouble for. Hey, maybe he's going to say it's time for us to move up to TV."

"Wait, do you really think so?" Mandy asked, eyes widening at the thought of that potentially awesome surprise.

"There's nothing else I can imagine it being. Like I said, we can't be about to get the riot act for something. We haven't done anything wrong."

"Unless they think our performances aren't up to scratch," Mandy pondered in a concerned tone.

"Possible, but I doubt it," Sonya said as they reached the door that led from the main hall into reception, which was the quickest way of getting to the offices. "Neither of us have had any major criticism recently for the matches we've worked, and we always give it our best in training. Neither Purrazzo or Paige have been any more critical than usual."

"Yeah, you're right," Mandy said.

It only took them a moment to reach the office door which had a plaque bearing Hunter Helmsley's name fixed to it. Mandy gave it a firm knock.

"Come in!" the boss called from inside.

Mandy opened the door and led Sonya into the office. As she entered, Sonya saw that Mr Helmsley wasn't the only person in the office. Zelina Vega was sitting in one of the two chairs in front of his desk. That came as a big surprise. Zelina had been called up to NXT TV a couple of months earlier, due to the fact that she had entered the training program with more experience than Sonya and Mandy. Why she would be a part of whatever this meeting was about was a mystery.

"Mandy, Sonya," Hunter said, greeting them with a smile.

"Hey, Hunter. Hi, Zelina," Mandy said as Sonya smiled a greeting of her own while closing the door behind her. There was only one seat remaining in front of his desk, so the new arrivals were left to stand.

"Don't look so worried," Hunter said, his smile broadening. "I have good news for you. The reason I called you in here is to let you know that both of you are being called up to the regular NXT roster, starting in two weeks, at the next TV taping. Congratulations."

"Oh my god," Sonya gasped as Mandy squealed in delight. They instinctively hugged each other in the highly emotional moment. They had busted their asses six days a week for almost a year to earn a call up to the NXT roster. Now, out of the blue, here it was. Receiving it was such an enormous achievement that Sonya felt like she couldn't properly take it in. It didn't seem real.

"Son, I can't believe it," Mandy said as they hugged.

"Believe it, because it's real," Hunter said kindly. "You've worked very hard for this. You've earned it. You deserve it."

"Congratulations, guys," Zelina added, flashing them a dazzling smile. She had shifted her chair around slightly so that she could look at them or at Hunter, depending on who was speaking.

"Thank you, both of you," Sonya said, managing to find her voice after she released Mandy from the celebratory embrace.

"Yes, thank you so much," Mandy said.

Hunter leaned back in his chair in a relaxed manner. "You may be wondering why Zelina is sitting in here."

"It did cross my mind," Sonya said, looking from Hunter to Zelina and back again.

"Zelina is going to be your on-screen manager."

"Oh," Sonya said in a tone of pleasant surprise.

"Wait, our manager?" Mandy asked. "As in both of us? You mean Sonya and I are going to be a team, with Zelina managing us?"

Hunter nodded. "That's what I'm saying, yes. We don't often have women's tag team matches on NXT, but you are going to officially be a team, managed by Zelina. More often than not it will involve two of you ringside while one wrestles, but of course you'll be a trio in any kind of promo segment, with Zelina doing the talking."

"Sounds fantastic to me," Sonya said. "Everyone knows Zelina was the best talker in our training group."

"Yeah, Z can cut one hell of a promo," Mandy added.

"Thank you, guys. You're too kind," Zelina said, flashing the brilliant smile again.

"Just do one thing for me," Hunter said to Mandy with a cringing expression on his face.

"What's that?" she asked, wondering what she had done to offend him.

"Never refer to her as Z on television."

All three women laughed.

"It's what we call her in the locker room," Mandy said. "Z or Zel."

"Call her what you want in there. On TV, she's Zelina," Hunter said with a smile that contained humour.

"You got it," Mandy said, laughing again.

"Okay, this team we're creating," Hunter said, getting back on topic. "As I've already said, Zelina is going to be your manager. The name of your team is going to be Golden Gloves. It came up in the brainstorming session we had as a combination of the gold ring attire you always wear, Mandy, and those MMA gloves you use, Sonya. I want you to get yourself some gold ring attire ordered in time for your debut. Let's have you looking like a team."

Sonya nodded. "No problem. I like the name," she added. Although she honestly wasn't totally sold on it, she wanted to sound positive about what they were being given. "What's the concept behind the team?"

"The concept is that Zelina has recruited the two of you to do her bidding. She'll have you attack anyone she sets her sights on, or anyone who is in her view stupid enough to attract her ire. In time, her stated goal will be to have one of you become NXT Women's Champion."

The idea was not going to be awarded many points for originality, but Sonya wasn't going to object to it. In fact she was delighted by what she was hearing. Not only was she going to be on a team with Mandy, which was incredible enough by itself, they were also going to have a manager. She figured that meant Hunter was serious about having them feature regularly on NXT.

"You're going to debut in the battle royal we're having to determine the number one contender for the NXT Women's Championship," Hunter continued. "Even though you will of course be eliminated, it will be apparent that Zelina is giving the two of you instructions during that match. That'll probably be it for that taping, but it won't be long before we find a way of formally introducing you."

"This sounds incredible," Mandy said enthusiastically.

They chatted away for a few more minutes before Hunter brought the meeting to a close, telling Sonya and Mandy to continue reporting for their daily training sessions as normal until the date of the next TV tapings. It was as that point where they would move from the trainee schedule they had worked on for the past year to that of the NXT roster members.

"Any questions?" Hunter asked, ready to dismiss them.

"Not from me," Zelina said while Sonya and Mandy shook their heads.

"Okay then, have a good evening," Hunter said with a smile.

It was a cue to leave, so the three women thanked him and headed for the door. First out into the hallway, Sonya stood and waited for Mandy and Zelina.

Zelina was last to come out of the office. She closed the door behind her before saying, "Well, that's not how I expected today to go."

"Welcome to my world," Mandy said, shaking her head in wonder as they started walking, heading in the direction of the locker rooms. "I'm still not sure if I'm dreaming all of this and I'm about to wake up."

"Want me to pinch you?" Sonya asked with a grin. "Trust me, it's real. We're going to team together, and Zelina's going to be our manager. I have to ask how you feel about that, Zel? Because I know you came here to wrestle, not to manage."

"I'm fine with it, really," Zelina insisted. "Working for WWE has been my dream job for so many years, I'm loving every minute of it now that I'm here. Hunter and William Regal have told me I'm one of the best at cutting a promo they've ever had come through the Performance Centre. Naturally, I said that feedback meant a hell of a lot to me when Hunter said it to me, and that's when he floated the idea of making me a manager. I said I was open to it, but I love wrestling. He responded by promising me I would get some time in the ring if I took this manager role on, so, yeah, I agreed to become a manager, and today I learned it would be for you guys."

They had walked through the reception area while she was speaking, and were now heading across the main hall, which was now empty. Zelina was apparently happy to go with Sonya and Mandy to the locker room in order to keep the conversation going.

"And how do you feel about that? It being us, I mean?" Mandy asked.

"Believe me when I say I'm excited about it. I assumed when Hunter asked me to become a manager they were going to put me with one of the guys. I wondered if it might be Andrade Almas, since he doesn't speak English well at all. But I'm delighted to have an opportunity to manage two women, especially ones as talented as both of you undoubtedly are. Plus there's the fact that we already know each other, and have always gotten on well."

"Aww, that's lovely of you," Sonya said warmly. "Personally, I'm delighted to have you as a manager. I think the three of us can achieve a hell of a lot together."

"I agree with that, absolutely," Mandy said, nodding to emphasise her point.

Zelina smiled as they approached the women's locker room. "Thanks, guys. I do have a favour to ask."

"Sure. What is it?" Mandy asked, stopping by the locker room door.

"I was hoping, since we're going to be a team, that I might be able to travel with you guys when we're on the road for live events? I haven't had anyone the past couple of months, and it's pretty lonely, I must admit."

Sonya had no problem with the idea. She had always found Zelina easy to get along with, and it made sense for the trio to be on the road together. It was common practice in WWE when people were teamed together that they travelled together also. Looking at Mandy, Sonya got a nod of approval. "That's fine with us," she said. "We'll work something out regarding expenses and stuff."

"Thanks a lot," Zelina said happily. "Zelina Vega and the Golden Gloves. It sounds like a 1960's band or something, doesn't it?"

"It's not the most original creative I've ever heard of," Sonya admitted. "But that doesn't have to hold us back."

"Absolutely not," Zelina agreed. "Look at what New Day managed to do with the pathetic gimmick they were given to begin with. We can take this idea and make it a great thing for all three of us. Let's stick together, give it our all, and see where it takes us."

"Amen to that," Mandy said. "I can't wait to get started."


	14. Chapter 14

After the incredible news they had gotten from Hunter Helmsley, Sonya and Mandy had headed home to their apartment in the mood to celebrate.

During the drive home, they had stopped off for Sonya to buy an expensive bottle of wine. She had been the one to buy it because it was a given that Mandy would cook their dinner.

For the celebratory occasion, Mandy had gone all out, preparing a traditional Italian dish - seared beef with mushrooms and balsamic vinegar. Sonya had found it absolutely divine. All of the meals her girlfriend cooked were delicious, but this one had been extra special.

By the time the meal was over, there had been nothing but vinegar stains remaining on either of the plates, and most of the bottle of wine had been consumed as well.

Sonya had never felt happier in her life. She had received a call up to the NXT roster, and was going to be teaming with Mandy. If she had been able to choose her destiny herself, she couldn't have opted for anything better than that. And then there had been the meal. Wonderful food, exceptional fine wine, and the company of the love of her life. The only down side of it all was that in their relationship, Sonya was the one who had to do the dishes after eating. Mandy cooked, Sonya cleaned everything away and washed up.

Usually the dish washing process was made tolerable by Mandy, who would come over and be extremely attentive, turned on by the fact that Sonya would always make sure to wear rubber gloves while she worked. Personally, she would have been fine to wash dishes without them, but since it excited Mandy's fetish, Sonya had always been more than happy to go along with wearing the gloves. Over time, she had come to enjoy it herself. Knowing how Mandy felt made Sonya in turn feel attractive with the gloves on.

On this occasion, though, Sonya was making her way through the assortment of cutlery and cooking utensils uninterrupted. Mandy was nowhere to be found in the kitchen. Licking her lips and feeling herself tingle in excitement, Sonya looked across the breakfast bar to the living area at the reason why. Mandy was sitting with her feet up on the couch, fully dressed, ankles bound with black Gorilla Tape, wrists secured behind her back in the same way, and several layers of the tape wrapped tightly around her head to gag her.

"Mmmm," Mandy moaned when they made eye contact, trying her best to look weak and vulnerable so as to heighten her girlfriend's satisfaction at what she saw. She had been sitting there for more than ten minutes, unable to move or talk. Despite being in that situation, she was incredibly turned on by the knowledge that being tied her up meant an encounter with Daria, which invariably meant utterly mind-blowing sex. The frustrating part was being made to wait, but on this occasion it was fine because she got to watch Sonya do the dishes in what she considered to be an incredibly sexy pair of dark green rubber gloves. She had been spending her time imagining Sonya's hands all over her with those gloves on. It had her warm and moist before Sonya even transformed into Daria.

"Sitting comfortably?" Sonya asked sweetly.

Mandy made a point of sighing helplessly into the tape, not even attempting to fight her restraints. They both knew Sonya was too good at applying bondage for it to come free as a result of struggling.

"I'll finish these dishes, then I think it might be time for Daria to come around. It's been a while since she pleasured a woman, and she's wanting to do so tonight."

Mandy wanted to be pleasured by Daria in every way possible, but she couldn't do much to communicate that fact. She was optionless but to sit and watch while Sonya finished her work in the kitchen.

A few minutes later, when everything had been washed up and placed in the drainer, Sonya peeled off her gloves in what she hoped looked like a sexy manner to Mandy. She was rewarded by a muffled groan of excitement from the direction of the couch.

It was now time to go and change into something more appropriate for Daria. Sonya put the gloves down by the sink, then looked at Mandy as she headed out of the small kitchen. "Daria will be right with you," she promised.

Entering their bedroom, Sonya had already decided which one of her expensive lace underwear sets, known as Daria costumes, she was going to change into. Tonight, it was going to be the purple set. It had been some time since Mandy had seen her in that one.

Taking off everything she had been wearing, Sonya took out the purple lingerie from the special drawer and put it on. Next, she walked over to the mirror and spent a few moments putting her hair up. She smiled, thinking of Daria's motto: put your hair up and tape up. Usually, the taping up of Mandy came after Daria putting her hair up, but tonight had worked out differently.

Ready to go back to the living area, there was one more finishing touch to make. Thanks to shopping around various hardware stores, Sonya had a pair of rubber gloves for Daria to wear for Mandy's pleasure, in a matching colour to each of her outfits. Taking the purple pair out of the drawer, Sonya slipped her hands comfortably into them. Looking into the mirror for a final time, she saw Daria looking back at her, and she started getting even more turned on, contemplating how Mandy would react to seeing her.

Sonya walked slowly out of the bedroom and along the short hallway towards the kitchen and living area. Daria never did anything quickly. She was methodical in everything she did, including giving orgasms to her 'victim' Mandy.

On the couch, Mandy was now lying down, leaning slightly to her left side because of her bound wrists behind her back. She was looking in Sonya's direction, and her eyes widened in excitement immediately upon seeing her. Muffled noises started coming from under her gag. Her mouth was so well sealed up that Sonya could understand nothing. That fact delighted her to no end. For her, there was nothing sexier than a helplessly bound and gagged lover, and Mandy was so good at selling it.

"Well, this is unusual," Sonya said in her Daria voice as she started walking over to the couch. "I don't usually find you taped up when I come around. It's usually my first bit of fun to do that."

As Sonya reached the couch, Mandy lay there looking up at her with eyes full of sexual excitement. For her, Daria was like the appearance of some kind of goddess. Unable to lie still, Mandy squirmed against her bonds, breathing heavily through her nose.

"You look ready for sex to me," Daria said, thinking aloud. "Going to have to get you undressed for that, though, and that means untying you." Her gaze shifted to the coffee table, where the large roll of black tape sat. "I guess we'll need this," she said, picking it up.

"Mmpph," Mandy objected, acting like she didn't want to be tied up. It was part of the game for her resist a little bit, making it more exciting for Sonya.

Although the sight and sounds she was presented with were driving her crazy, Sonya couldn't allow herself to show it too much. It didn't fit with the persona of Daria. Crouching down, she scooped Mandy up into her arms and headed for the bedroom.

Moment's later, Mandy was lowered onto the bed, lying on her side with her back to Daria.

Saying nothing, Daria set about releasing the tape binding her wrists behind her back. It wasn't an easy task, so secure were the several layers that had been wrapped around.

After a minute or so, Mandy wrists were free. She gasped in relief as she moved her arms in front of her, glad to relieve the pain in her shoulders.

"Lie still while I undress you," Daria ordered. "Co-operate, or I'll tie you back up and you'll get no sex all night."

Mandy did as instructed, moving only to raise her arms to assist Daria with removing her t-shirt and bra.

"Good. Beautiful," Daria said, savouring the sight of Mandy's breasts once they were exposed. "Now move up the bed. Put your head on the pillows."

Shifting up the bed, Mandy obeyed the instruction. The sound of tape being unwound from a roll had come to turn her on since she had started her relationship with Sonya, and now was certainly no exception as Daria went to work with the Gorilla Tape, securing first Mandy's right wrist and then her left to the bars that made up the bed frame. She got to enjoy the feel of Daria's rubber gloves touching her skin while she worked, adding to the excitement. There was plenty more of that to come, she thought, letting out an involuntary moan in excitement at the prospect. Daria was so good at letting her enjoy her rubber glove fetish during their encounters.

With Mandy's wrists bound, secure until a decision was made to untie them, Daria had her captive exactly where she wanted her. She was able to take her time moving down the bed and unwrapping the tape from around her ankles.

Daria removed Mandy's pants and her thong, throwing them aside onto the floor. "Literally the most beautiful woman in the world," she said, meaning every word.

A few days earlier, Sonya had purchased something new for the next time Daria made an appearance. It was going to come as a surprise to Mandy. Getting off the bed, she walked over and opened the drawer where the Daria costumes where kept. She removed a black blindfold of the type that people could use to help them sleep. "Look what I have here," she said, turning around and showing it to Mandy.

"Mmmm. Mmppph," Mandy muffled under the tape. She had never been blindfolded for sex before, and felt a little nervous at the prospect of it.

Daria got back onto the bed, straddling Mandy, who was mumbling away into her gag in a futile attempt to communicate.

Seeing nervousness in her girl's eyes, Sonya didn't put the blindfold on her right away. It was about fun and amazing sex for both of them, not about inflicting discomfort or doing anything that wasn't enjoyable.

Sonya reverted to her normal, slightly softer voice for a moment so that Mandy would know she wasn't in character. "I won't put this on you if you don't want me to, baby. But I'd like you to try it. I love you, you're perfectly safe. I want you to have nothing to focus on apart from me kissing you, the feel of my gloves on your body, and when it comes to it, my tongue in your pussy."

"Mmmm," Mandy cried. Nervousness or not, the way Sonya described it made her feel like she could come already.

Sonya held up the blindfold. "Okay for Daria to put this on you?"

Mandy trusted Sonya implicitly, so she forced her nerves aside as best she could and nodded her head, adding a muffled noise that she hoped also conveyed her assent. It was impossible to form anything like actual words. Of all the different tapes Sonya had used on her over the past year, Gorilla Tape was the strongest and stickiest. With multiple tight layers of it wrapped around her head, it was pretty much like having her lips glued together. In its own way, that was a turn on as well. She honestly didn't have to do much work to sell helplessness in this situation.

"Alright," Sonya said, switching back to Daria. She carefully put the blindfold on Mandy, making sure the strap was comfortable behind her head before lowering it over her eyes.

Mandy let out another moan when her vision was taken away from her. Now unable to move, talk, or see, she was in probably the most vulnerable situation a person could find themselves in.

"Now, I want you to relax," Daria said. "Relax and let Daria pleasure you." She began fondling Mandy's breasts, fully aware of how she would delight in the feel of the rubber gloves. "Feel my gloves on your tits," she purred as her hands moved, bringing moans and grunts of pleasure from under Mandy's gag.

"Your tits are so beautiful," Daria purred. "And they feel so nice, even with gloves on. I wonder if I can make you come just by having my gloves fondle your tits? Stroking them. Pinching your nipples."

Mandy had never had an orgasm simply over Daria touching her with gloves before. Now, though, she realised why the blindfold had been introduced. Unable to see anything, her brain seemed to have reacted by magnifying everything her other senses were giving her. She could smell Daria's intoxicating perfume. She could hear the quiet sounds her gloves made as her hands moved, and she was able to take even more pleasure than usual in the feeling of the textured palms and fingers against her skin. Uncontrollable moans escaped her, and she writhed her unbound legs around as her body took on a mind of its own. It seemed possible that she might orgasm.

Daria delighted in the reaction she was getting as the minutes wore on. She had added kisses to the sides of Mandy's neck while continuing to fondle her. But still there was no orgasm from Mandy. It was clear that she wasn't far away, but she couldn't quite get to her peak.

Then an idea came to Daria. There was something Mandy liked most of all as far as her glove fetish was concerned. Shifting her position, Daria moved a little further up the bed and lifted Mandy's head from the pillow, and hand on each of her cheeks. Being held in that manner and kissed drove Mandy absolutely wild. Of course, she was gagged, but Daria didn't think that would matter. She kissed the tape over where Mandy's mouth was, several layers beneath. She was rewarded with even louder moans and gagged noises that she could actually feel against her own lips. Such was her own excitement, she had to resist the overwhelming urge to stop and stick a hand between her legs to give herself the first orgasm of the night.

"I'd love to kiss those fulsome lips," Daria breathed erotically in between kisses. "But I can't take off your gag. You need to have that on all night, while I make you come over and over again. You're going to come for me now, aren't you?"

Daria kept kissing the tape, holding Mandy's head securely in place. The moans from under the gag were constant now, and Mandy was straining against her bonds. Abruptly, the orgasm Daria had been determined to cause happened. Mandy started gasping loudly and convulsing underneath Sonya. Sweat beaded on her forehead and her breathing was frantic. Thirty seconds later, it was over, at least for the first time that night.

"Good girl," Daria said as she allowed Mandy's head to drop back to the pillow. "I knew you could do it."

Lying there in the aftermath, Mandy could barely think straight. Daria had blown her mind as only she could. The best part was that she would soon do it again and again, all night long.


	15. Chapter 15

Sonya opened her eyes to find herself facing Mandy, who was already awake. Judging by how tired her eyes looked, she hadn't beaten Sonya to it by much. There was light coming through the curtains, so Sonya knew it was morning. She had slept like a log after the night of passion they had shared.

"Morning, beautiful," Mandy said quietly.

"Morning, baby," Sonya replied, her eyes still adjusting to waking up.

"Thank you again for last night. I can't even remember how many times I came."

"Mmm," Sonya purred, enjoying the memories that came to mind. "I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as I did."

"I really did. I think that's the best gag you've ever put on me," Mandy said. There was a hint of a sultriness in the way she spoke.

"You think so?" Sonya asked, feeling herself start to warm up. Mandy knew full well that talk like that would turn her on.

"Yes. I could barely make a sound, and there's no way I could have got it off. You could have left it on me all night if you had wanted to."

"Oh my god," Sonya breathed. "Don't say things like that to me. That's so hot, Mand."

"I'm glad you think so, because I think you should try it one time."

"But how would you sleep? You wouldn't be comfortable enough," Sonya objected, despite how much she wanted to do what was being suggested.

"I wouldn't be comfortable if I was tied up, but you could leave my mouth taped. I'm fairly sure that's the main turn on for you."

"It is," Sonya said. "And okay, if you want to do that, I'm damn sure not going to object. You drive me crazy, Mandy, you know that?"

"You drive me crazy, too. You made me come just by tying me up and touching me with rubber gloves. That's a talented lover."

Sonya kissed her lightly on the lips. "I aim to please."

"Boy, did you please," Mandy said dreamily. "I'd love to have more sex now, but we'd better get up. Don't want to be late for training."

"Damn training," Sonya said grumpily, but she knew Mandy was right.

Struggling out from under the blanket, Mandy got up and yawned while stretching her arms. "I'll put the coffee machine on."

With a yawn of her own, Sonya got out of the bed. There were crumpled up lengths of black Gorilla Tape on the floor, along with the sexy purple lingerie and rubber gloves that had been the previous night's Daria costume. It was another reminder of the amazing experience, making Sonya long for more sex.

"Maybe later," Mandy said, guessing what Sonya was thinking as she walked up to her and kissed her on the lips.

"I hope so," Sonya said. With that, she forced herself to head to the bathroom.

A few minutes later, relieved and washed, Sonya walked through to the kitchen, where Mandy was fixing two cups of coffee.

"Son?" Mandy asked, hearing her footsteps approaching.

"What, baby?" Sonya asked, opening a cupboard to get one of her favourite breakfast cereal bars.

"I know we've become attached to this apartment, but it is a bit of a dump. We can afford better now, so I'm wondering how you feel about looking for a new place?"

"As it happens, I've thought the same thing a few times," Sonya said. "I hadn't found the right time to mention it, but I had thought it. I'd like to move somewhere nicer, somewhere bigger. You know what else I thought?"

"What?" Mandy asked, turning around and handing Sonya her cup of coffee.

"Thank you," Sonya said. "I was thinking we could find somewhere with three bedrooms. A bedroom for us, one to make into an office or a storeroom, and one for Daria." She saw exactly the reaction she had hoped for in Mandy's eyes. She was sold on the idea from the moment she heard it.

"Oh wow, Daria's own room," Mandy breathed. "I'm excited just imagining it."

"I bet you are," Sonya said in her Daria voice, before switching back. "So what do you say we go apartment hunting at the weekend, since we're not working?"

"I say it sounds like a plan. We'll have a look for places on our lunch break today and see if we can make some viewing appointments. Are we going to look to rent or buy?"

"I think we should buy," Sonya said without needing to consider it. "We could get a good rate if we went for a joint mortgage, considering both of our salaries."

Standing with her back to the sink, Mandy sipped her hot coffee. "That's a good point. And I guess renting is wasting money when you think about it. We should make enquiries to find out how much we could get a mortgage for."

"Yes, we'll need to do that."

Mandy remained silent for a moment while Sonya unwrapped and started to eat her breakfast bar.

"What?" Sonya asked, wanting to know what was on her mind.

"There's something else I think we're going to need to do sooner rather than later."

"Yeah," Sonya said, picking up on what she meant straight away. "It's time we came out to the locker room. I've been thinking the same thing."

Mandy nodded. "Right. Especially now we've agreed to travel with Zel. It would be weird trying not to be ourselves around her all the time. I don't want it to be like that."

"Neither do I," Sonya said. "Besides, the girls all know us well enough now. We've been sharing locker rooms with them for months at live events. I honestly don't think we'll have any problems with them."

Mandy sipped her coffee again. "Neither do I. Sasha might be a bitch sometimes, but I don't see her as a homophobe. She's just hard to get along with, and she has a huge ego."

Finishing the last mouthful of her breakfast bar, Sonya put the wrapper in the trash. "That's how I see it too. Like I said, I was thinking that we'd need to come out. I was going to bring it up. My idea was that we could do it when we show up for the tapings. You know it'll be a real feel good night, plus we'll be traveling with Z soon after that."

After considering it for a moment, Mandy nodded her agreement. "Alright, sounds like a plan. Although we agreed to keep our relationship to ourselves, now that it's time to come out I actually feel excited about it. I'll be so proud to tell everyone that you're my girlfriend, Sonya. I love you."

Sonya walked over and kissed Mandy on the lips. "I love you too, Mandy. And I couldn't be happier or prouder to be with you. I'm truly blessed."

"We both are. Blessed to have each other."

That was a perfect way to put it, Sonya thought. She told herself to remember it for when they addressed the women's locker room at the TV tapings. The moment would come around before they knew it.

* * *

Arriving at Full Sail University for the first time as members of the NXT roster was an amazing feeling for Sonya and Mandy. The building itself was not new to them, they had been there several times to experience TV tapings backstage. Tonight, though, they were not going to experience it from the back, they would be out there in the ring, performing in a match that would be televised.

As Sonya led Mandy into the locker room, all of the women who had arrived before them started applauding. It felt extremely embarrassing to Sonya, who stood there feeling like she didn't know where to put herself. That kind of greeting was the last thing she had expected.

"Please, you don't have to do that," Mandy said, also embarrassed.

"Just a little NXT tradition we have for trainees who make it this far," Bayley said at the far end of the room as the round of applause began to die down. She had such a broad smile on her face that it was impossible for it to not be contagious.

"Congratulations," Sasha said. Standing next to Bayley, she was smiling too. It actually seemed like she was genuinely pleased for them, which came as a pleasant surprise to Sonya.

"Thanks guys, it means a lot," Sonya said, hurrying over to her locker to try and put the awkwardness behind her.

The door opened again and Zelina entered. "Aww, damn," she said. "I wanted to be here before my Golden Gloves. Did they get all shy when you applauded them?" she asked the room as a whole.

"Yep," Becky Lynch replied with a laugh.

"But we did really appreciate it," Mandy clarified. "It was a lovely gesture. Thank you."

Smiling, Zelina walked over to the soon-to-be members of her team. "All set for tonight? Got your gold ring attire?" she asked brightly. "I bought myself some truly awful-looking gold leather pants for the first night I manage you."

"Gold leather pants? Someone actually makes those?" Sonya asked with a big grin.

"Apparently so," Zelina chuckled. "What about a double team move? Do you have one yet?"

That took Sonya by surprise, and looking at Mandy, she saw the same reaction. It hadn't occurred to them to think of a double team move. Hunter hadn't said anything about it, but now Sonya realised that it was kind of obvious that they should have one, and they should have had something ready. "Uh, no," she admitted, feeling embarrassed again.

"Not to worry, we'll come up with something before we go out there," Zelina said.

"I've got an idea," Lacey Evans said. As ever, she was only a couple of lockers down from Mandy.

"Let's hear it," Mandy said openly.

"Mandy, I'm picturing you lifting up the opponent the way Beth Phoenix used to do for her finish, whatever that was called," Lacey said.

"The Glam Slam," Bayley helped out.

"Thank you," Lacey said. "Mandy, you lift the opponent up in position for the Glam Slam and hold them there. Sonya, you run at them, jump in the air and blast them in the head with one of those martial arts kicks you do, then Mandy plants them on the mat in the second part of the Glam Slam. How does that work?"

Sonya and Mandy looked at each other, liking the sound of it. However, Sonya didn't know the move that they were talking about. "I'd have to look up the Glam Slam," she said.

"Here, I'll do it," Mandy said, phone already in hand. A quick YouTube search brought up a short video of Beth Phoenix delivering the move. Sonya watched it, looking over her girlfriend's shoulder.

"So I'd hold them up like that, while you kick them in the head," Mandy said. "Works for me. I think it would actually look pretty sick."

"I agree," Sonya said. She turned to Lacey. "Thanks for that. You came up with it so quick, too."

Lacey shrugged. "I was going to use it if they teamed me with someone, but you can have it."

"Thanks a lot," Mandy said gratefully.

"I'll even be your first victim," Lacey offered. "You can hit it on me in the battle royal."

"That's awesome of you. Thanks again," Sonya said.

"No problem," Lacey said easily. "There's no sign that I'm ever going to be on a tag team, so someone might as well make use of the idea."

"We could call our version the Golden Slam," Zelina suggested.

Mandy nodded. "Sounds good to me."

At the break in conversation, Sonya set about unpacking her things from her travel case and arranging them on the bench in front of her locker, while Zelina walked across the room to her own locker. Sonya felt herself getting nervous, and it had nothing to do with the upcoming Golden Gloves debut. She was thinking about the fact that it was soon going to be time for her and Mandy to announce their relationship to the rest of the women. Coming out was never an easy thing to do, even when it was to people who were likely to receive the news favourably.

Beside her, Mandy had also unpacked her things. When she was done, she looked at Sonya. "Do you think we should, uh…?" she asked quietly.

"Ready if you are," Sonya said, giving what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

Mandy took a deep breath. "Alright, let's do it."

"Do you want me to speak up, or do you want to do it?" Sonya asked.

"You can, if you want."

Just go for it, Sonya told herself. She turned around to face the room and said, "Guys, if I can have a minute, there's something Mandy and I wanted to say to you all."

"We're not going to apologise for applauding you," Shayna Baszler said, drawing a ripple of laughter from around the room.

Sonya managed a smile. "We don't want you to. What we wanted to say is that, as you all know, we've lived together since we signed for NXT. Well, we're not just housemates, we're actually in a relationship."

"And we're very happy," Mandy added shyly.

"That's lovely," Bayley said warmly. "I'm really pleased for you guys."

Sonya took in the smiles that were on display around the room, and the simultaneous expressions of congratulation and well wishes. It struck her that the reaction was basically no different than she would have expected if she had just announced that she was dating Seth Rollins, and that was possibly the best reaction of any she could have hoped for. Her colleagues saw nothing different about a gay relationship compared to a straight one. It was wonderful.

"I think you guys are the first gay female wrestlers in WWE," Becky said. "And about time, too. You could make that a powerful thing, if you wanted to use it to send a message."

"We'd rather just go about our business as usual," Mandy replied in a friendly manner.

Sonya nodded her agreement. Although Becky clearly meant well, neither she nor Mandy wanted to be screaming from the rooftops about being gay. They had simply felt it was right to tell their colleagues.

"Fair enough," Zelina said. "I think I speak for everyone when I wish you every happiness together."

There were nods and words of agreement from around the room, then people went back to talking in their usual groups. The news had been received and accepted just like that.

"Well, that went easier than I expected," Mandy said quietly to Sonya.

"Agreed," she muttered back. "But don't complain. Now we can focus on the show, and on making the right kind of impact with our debut."


	16. Chapter 16

When Sonya and Mandy had gotten around to looking at the formats for the night, they had received a surprise. The women's battle royal to determine the number one contender for Elena D'Agostino's NXT Women's Championship was the main event of the first of three episodes being taped. They were not featured on either of the other two episodes, but they didn't care about that. What mattered was that they were making their televised debut in a main event. It was incredible, so much so that it had been hard for them to take it in.

Now they were standing backstage, waiting to enter the arena. For the sake of time, only a select few of the competitors would be given televised entrances with their own music for the battle royal. The rest would enter in a large group, played to the ring by the NXT theme song for the benefit of those in attendance at Full Sail.

"How do you feel?" Zelina asked both Sonya and Mandy. She was standing next to Sonya, about to walk to the ring beside them so that those viewers who watched matches over again on the WWE Network would see her entering with her Golden Gloves, even before it was known that they were a team, or that she had brought them together to work for her.

"Excited," Sonya said.

"And nervous," Mandy added.

"You'll be fine," Zelina said, trying her best to reassure them.

"She's right, you'll be fine," Lacey Evans said. She was standing just behind them, wearing her latest vintage look. It never failed to amaze Sonya how Lacey pulled them off so naturally. She imagined that if she tried one on, she would look like a complete idiot.

"Thanks, guys," Sonya said, limbering up while they waited for the cue to go out to the ring.

"You look great together, both dressed in gold," Zelina said. "I wasn't sure it would suit you, Sonya, but it really does."

"Golden Gloves for the win," Sonya said with a smile. The kind words were helping to hold her nerves at bay.

"Not to try and be negative," Shayna Baszler said from nearby, "But why are you called the Golden Gloves when Mandy isn't wearing any gloves and Sonya has black ones?"

That was a good point, Sonya had to admit. She remembered Hunter's explanation of how the name had been arrived at, which Zelina was now explaining to Shayna. But she could see what Shayna was saying. It would probably look a bit silly from the audience's point of view if the Golden Gloves didn't wear golden gloves.

"I get it," Shayna said after hearing Zelina's explanation. "I still think you should have gold gloves though."

"She's right, Son," Mandy said, looking at her. "We should add some golden gloves to our look for our first proper appearance as the team."

Sonya nodded her agreement. "I've been told I look good in gloves, so I say let's do it."

Luckily for Mandy, the call came for the group to head out to the ring, and the NXT theme started playing in the arena. If the attention had remained on her, she wouldn't have known where to put herself after Sonya's comment.

It was time to focus on getting down to business. "Let's do this, Mand," Sonya said, fired up for her first televised match.

"Let's go!" Mandy replied, equally hyped up.

Walking through the curtain near to the back of the group, Sonya saw that the small but intimate arena was full to capacity. Even so, there was not much reaction to the group's entrance.

On her way down the ramp, Sonya wondered how long it would be before the Golden Gloves were making a proper entrance of their own. That would be another memorable moment to add to the collection.

The group entered the ring, and the NXT theme faded out. There was a pause for a few moments before Shayna's music hit. She was the first of the NXT women's division's big names to enter, granted the privilege of her entrance being televised.

Next came Sasha, followed by Bayley, who was the crowd's favourite for the win if the reaction she got was anything to judge by. Last came Lacey, who Sonya already knew was going to be the winner. The resulting Lacey Evans versus Elena D'Agostino match at the next Takeover event really would be something to see.

But for Sonya and Mandy, it wasn't about winning the match. It was about using the time they had in the ring to give a good account of themselves. When the match had been laid out earlier in the night, they had been told that Bayley would eliminate both of them, and Shayna would then throw Zelina out soon afterwards, and they would need to be in position to catch her when that happened.

When Lacey had completed her entrance routine, her music faded out and the referee called for the bell. Sonya and Mandy's first ever televised match was underway. They had no time to dwell on it. As soon as the bell sounded, Kairi Sane came charging across the ring and started laying into Mandy, knocking her down. Sonya grabbed the Japanese and spun her around, only to catch a right hand to the face, sending her staggering into a corner of the ring.

* * *

Five minutes later, the ring had emptied out a bit. Neither Sonya nor Mandy had eliminated anyone, but their little moment to shine was approaching. Lacey had been stomping on Bayley in a corner of the ring. When she turned around, Sonya was already running at her. Launching herself into the air, Sonya hit a spear, her signature move. To her delight, she absolutely nailed it, right in the middle of the ring, where all of the attention would have been on the move.

Standing up, Sonya faced the hard camera and posed with her arms outstretched. "That's what I'm talking about, baby!" she shouted loudly.

Behind her, Mandy was pulling Lacey up off the mat. She lifted her up into the air, in the first part of what would come to be called the Golden Slam.

Throughout the match, Zelina had been seen giving instructions to Sonya and Mandy, for a reason that wasn't yet apparent to the viewers. She now made of point of getting Sonya's attention and pointing to Mandy and the precarious position Lacey was in.

"Get her!" Zelina could be heard screaming.

Taking a run up, Sonya jumped into the air and blasted Lacey in the side of the head with a savage martial arts kick. As soon as the kick connected, Mandy slammed Lacey down face first onto the mat. The devastating double team move was greeted with a groan from the crowd, which in a way conveyed their recognition of how powerful it looked. It was a reaction that Sonya felt very pleased with.

Preparing to celebrate the destruction she had just taken part in, Sonya was grabbed from behind by Bayley and bundled over the top rope before she could react. Sonya painfully banged her butt on the side of the ring apron on her way to the floor, but even that wasn't going to take the shine off the night. She would need to await feedback from either Hunter or the coaches, but she felt like she and Mandy had done very well.

Moments after Sonya hit the floor, Mandy crashed down a couple of feet away.

Mindful of the instructions they had been given before the match, they both got up relatively quickly, selling being hurt in the process of their eliminations. They walked around to the side of the ring in front of the entrance ramp, arriving in time for Shayna send to sending Zelina literally flying over the top rope.

Zelina landed mainly on Sonya, who was able to catch her in the manner she had practiced so many times with Coach Purrazzo. Both Sonya and Mandy went down while catching Zelina, selling being wiped out by the impact.

Just like that, it was over. A cameraman had been standing nearby to capture Zelina's elimination, but he soon went back to ringside to continue filming the action. For the Golden Gloves and their manager, their part in the show was done. They got up, continuing to sell being hurt, and made their way slowly to the back, Sonya and Mandy helping Zelina to walk.

Once they were safely back through the curtain, there was no need to continue acting.

"That was so much fun!" Mandy said as they made their way through the small Gorilla position.

"Hell yeah it was," Sonya agreed.

"Sonya, you absolutely hit that spear out of the park," Zelina said. "I was watching from the corner."

"Thanks, Z. It felt good when I landed it. I'm glad it looked it."

"Yes, it did," Zelina said enthusiastically, leading them along the hallway towards the women's locker room. "And Mandy, you did an equally good job with the Golden Slam." She paused for a moment before laughing at her own expense. "Listen to me, talking like I'm Hunter or something. You don't need me telling you you're good at your jobs."

Mandy laughed. "No, please do. Any praise or encouragement means a lot. We've been called up, but we're still very green. We're realistic enough to know that. Anything we can learn from people more experienced than us, we're here for."

"That's right," Sonya said.

Zelina nodded her appreciation as they approached the locker room. "We should all keep that attitude in mind, as a group I mean. I honestly think we could go a long way together. I know it's a hell of a long way off right now, but imagine Zelina and the Golden Gloves on the main roster, making a debut on Raw or something."

Following their manager into the locker room, both Sonya and Mandy had dreamy expressions on their faces. "Maybe one day," Sonya said hopefully. "If it happens, we can look back on tonight and say we knew it from day one."

"Or if not, we can blame it all on Zel for jinxing us," Mandy said, making the other two laugh.

* * *

As a show of respect to everyone else who was working, Zelina, Sonya and Mandy were expected to stay until the last match of the night was over. The unwritten rule wasn't a problem to them, as they would have chosen to stay anyway. There was nothing quite like the experience of being backstage for a show, and all three of them loved it.

Halfway through the taping of the second show of the night, Deonna Purrazzo made a surprise appearance in the locker room. Over the years, most of the women on the roster had been trained by her and Paige, so happy greetings were in no short supply.

Out of politeness, Sonya, Mandy and Zelina waited by their lockers for the coach to come to them, rather than trying to crowd around her.

A couple of minutes went by before Purrazzo made her way over to the Golden Gloves group. Now that she wasn't in training mode, the coach seemed to be a bit more open and friendly. "Hi, guys," she greeted the three of them with a smile.

"Hey, Coach," Sonya replied, at the same time as similar greetings came from the others.

"You did a great job out there tonight, seriously," Purrazzo said. There was a notable element of pride in her voice.

"Thanks, Coach," Mandy said. It was obvious in the way she spoke that the words meant a lot. Praise didn't come often from Purrazzo, so it was meaningful when it did.

"Yeah, thank you," Sonya said with a smile.

"You're welcome. But this is one good night. Don't let it go to your heads."

Mandy nodded seriously while Sonya said, "We won't."

"Good. It was actually the three of you I came in here to see. Hunter wants you in his office when the show is over."

Sonya and Mandy looked at each other, then they shared glances with Zelina. If they had been able to see themselves, they may have found their reactions comical.

"Us? What for?" Sonya asked.

"Don't ask me..."

"I just work here," Zelina finished for the coach. It was a phrase everyone at the Performance Centre was used to hearing from her.

As frustrating as it was, Sonya realised they would have to wait until they were in Hunter's office to find out why they were being summoned.


	17. Chapter 17

"Hi, Hunter. You asked to see us?" Sonya said as she led the Golden Gloves trio into the boss's office. Although Hunter had just invited them to enter, Sonya saw that he wasn't alone in the room. He was standing in front of his desk, talking with a short, extremely attractive woman dressed in a very expensive-looking black business suit. She had her blonde hair up, perfectly arranged, but Sonya could see pink dye at the ends of it. The woman was holding a leather briefcase.

"Ah, come in, ladies," Hunter said to the new arrivals. "Allow me to introduce Alexa Bliss. She's Lucy Thorne's PA."

Handshakes were exchanged, with Hunter introducing each of the wrestlers in turn.

"You guys are the ones who debuted tonight," Bliss commented when the formalities were over with.

"That's right," Mandy smiled.

"Well, good luck. I'm sure Ms Thorne will be paying attention to how you get on."

Now it was Sonya's turn to smile, recalling her chance encounter with WWE's owner roughly a year earlier. Lucy Thorne had mentioned having high hopes for Sonya, and that was still something she thought about often. "I'm sure she will," she replied.

Bliss turned her attention back to Hunter. "Anyway, I think we're done here, Hunter. I'll let you get on. Always a pleasure to see you."

Hunter nodded politely. "You too. Have a good night."

"Nice to meet you all," Bliss said to the women on her way to the door.

Once Bliss had closed the door, Sonya had an irrational urge to ask what the meeting had been about, but of course it was none of her business. She was there to work for NXT, not to run the place.

"Sorry, I can't help myself asking, more call ups?" Zelina asked, stealing the thunder that Sonya wouldn't have dared to do anything with anyway.

Hunter raised his eyebrows, looking more intrigued by the question than annoyed by it.

Feeling obliged to fill the moment of silence, Zelina explained herself. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry. It's just that everyone in the locker rooms knows Ms Bliss comes around shortly before calls ups happen."

'Everyone' hadn't included Sonya and Mandy, until now at least. Somehow they had never happened across that piece of supposed locker room lore.

"I can neither confirm nor deny," Hunter said, which sounded suspiciously like a yes to Sonya. "Now, to business." He walked around behind his desk and sat down, hitting the enter key on his laptop to wake it up from sleep mode. "Gather around," he instructed them.

Following Mandy around behind the desk, Sonya wondered what they were going to be asked to look at. She didn't have to wait long to find out because as soon as she was able to see the laptop screen, she saw four different logos on it. All four were the words Golden Gloves written in stylish gold lettering on black backgrounds.

"I need you guys to make some choices for your stable," Hunter said. "First, we need to select a logo, and when we've done that, it'll be time to choose your theme music."

"Yes! I've been waiting for that!" Mandy said excitedly, while Sonya and Zelina smiled in anticipation.

"So, these are the four logos I'd like you to choose from," Hunter said.

Personally, Sonya didn't have much of a preference. All of the logos looked good to her. "Maybe rule out the third one," was her only suggestion. "I don't think the writing is particularly easy to read in that one."

"I agree," Zelina said. She and Mandy discussed it for a couple of minutes, before finding common ground on logo number two.

"Sonya?" Mandy asked.

"Number two works for me," she said with a nod of approval.

"Number two it is," Hunter said, making a note on his notepad.

"Would you be able to get me a copy of that, please?" Sonya asked him. "I want to get some new gloves made. I'm thinking gold ones, maybe with a black rectangle for the gold writing to go on."

"Not a problem, I'll get that sorted out for you," Hunter said, making another note. With that done, he closed down the picture of the four logos and pulled up a folder with three mp3 files in it. "Now, let's choose your entrance music. I have three options for you, so have a listen and see which one you like."

Sonya stood and listened while Hunter played all three pieces of music. The sound quality was surprisingly good from a laptop. All three tracks were similar in style: fast-paced rock music with no lyrics, ideal for a team to come to the ring looking like they were going to wreck whoever dared to oppose them. The third and final piece was the one Sonya liked the most. Even though Golden Gloves were heels, Sonya could imagine the fans rocking out to that track while they entered.

"Number three for me," Zelina said once it stopped playing.

"Yeah, I thought the same," Sonya said.

"Three sounds good," Mandy added.

"Sure you don't want to hear them again?" Hunter asked.

The women replied that they didn't, so Hunter noted down their selection. "Okay, ladies, that's all for now. My expectation right now is that we'll debut Golden Gloves at some point during the next set of tapings. Great job in the battle royal tonight."

"Thanks, Hunter. It means a lot," Sonya said, feeling herself filling with pride.

"Yeah, thank you," Mandy added.

"You're welcome. Have a good night," Hunter said, with a hand gesture towards the door, signifying the end of the meeting.

"Thanks, Hunter," Zelina said, leading the group to the door.

Once they were outside, the first thing on Sonya's mind was the appearance of Lucy Thorne's assistant, and the implications it might have. "Z, what was all that stuff you said about that Alexa woman?"

"Yeah, you said it was well known in the locker room that she comes around before call ups happen. I've never heard that," Mandy said as they headed back to the locker room.

"I might have been exaggerating a bit," Zelina said mischievously. "It's more like something Shayna and I were talking about, rather than something that's well known. But Hunter didn't know that, and his reaction pretty much confirmed it for me. I'd make a bet we're going to see some call ups after Takeover."

Walking along in silence, Sonya felt mixed emotions about that. If any of the women were called up, of course she would be pleased for them. But on the other hand, she didn't want to lose any of the women she was used to sharing the locker room with. They were all great people, and so easy to get along with. Even Banks wasn't as bad as she first appeared once you got used to her.

"Takeover is only a few weeks away," Mandy said. "I bet the calls ups will happen after that. Watch them take Bayley away from us."

That would be awful, Sonya thought. Everyone loved Bayley, but as the longest-serving member of the women's NXT roster, she had to be a prime candidate to move up to the main roster.

"Time will tell," Zelina said.

There was nothing Sonya could add to that. Time would indeed tell if Lucy Thorne had decided it was time for one or more of the women to make the move up to the main roster.

* * *

Now that they had graduated to the NXT roster, the workload on Sonya and Mandy was actually reduced. They were no longer obliged to report for training six days a week, although they were encouraged to spend as much time at the Performance Centre as possible when they were not on the road for live events.

The change in schedule had proven to be beneficial for them in their search for an apartment to buy. As predicted, they had found no trouble in being approved for a sizeable mortgage, given their stable and not insubstantial incomes, and the fact that between them they had a decent sum to put down for a deposit. That had left them with the task of finding somewhere that they actually wanted to buy.

Two weeks into the search, Sonya and Mandy were starting to get frustrated. Nothing they had viewed had ticked all of the boxes for them. They didn't have the time or interest to invest in a renovation project, and they had decided to be firm on moving to one of a few select areas of Orlando. Location was key for them, but they had found that sellers in those locations were all too aware of that, and were over-pricing their apartments as a result. Mandy had insisted that they were not going to overpay, so they had passed up more than one place that they might otherwise have gone for.

Standing outside of the latest place they were going to view, Sonya was in two minds about letting herself get her hopes up. The real estate agent, who had introduced herself as Maggie, was running them through the particulars once more before taking them into the gated community where the apartment in question was.

Listening to Maggie telling her everything she already knew, Sonya thought that it sounded good on paper. Gated community, guaranteeing safety and privacy. Three bedrooms – a master and two smaller bedrooms, larger kitchen than they currently had, spacious living room, and an outside deck and small garden for their exclusive use. The price, too, seemed reasonable, for once, due to the fact that the current owner apparently needed a quick sale.

"Okay, let's go take a look inside," Maggie suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Mandy said with a smile.

Walking hand in hand, they followed Maggie to the apartment they were there to see. Looking around at the surrounding apartments, Sonya liked what she saw. They were all well maintained, and the few cars that were parked outside in the middle afternoon were recent models, indicating that the people here were well off, probably business types who worked in downtown Orlando. They were the ideal kinds of neighbours for Sonya and Mandy: people who kept themselves to themselves and caused no disruption.

Maggie unlocked the front door and led them inside. They walked into an entrance hallway that was a few feet long. In front of them was the door to the living area, standing open. There was another door off the right side of the hallway, which Sonya soon learned led to the kitchen. The units in there looked fairly new, and were good quality without being overtly expensive.

"That doesn't look too bad, Mand," she said, standing in the doorway.

"No, I like it," Mandy opined. "Newly-decorated, too, by the look of it."

"The whole apartment has recently been painted," Maggie offered, standing just inside the living room. The smell of paint in the air confirmed what she was saying.

Walking into the living room, Sonya found it empty of furniture. Whoever had painted the place was going to get no points for originality, having gone for a light magnolia colour throughout. Walls could be easily repainted, though. What mattered was that the room was a nice space, with French doors that led out to the deck and garden. Light streamed in, as there were no curtains up.

"It gets plenty of light in the afternoon, as you can see," Maggie said.

"It's a nice size for a living room," Sonya said to Mandy. "We could put a TV on the wall over there," she said, pointing. "Couch there, with a coffee table and maybe a couple of chairs."

Mandy smiled, liking the image that was coming to mind. "Yes, and over here we could have a dining table. What a change that would be from having to eat off our laps all the time."

"Definitely. That's the worst thing about our place," Sonya said.

Maggie had made her way to the far end of the living room, where there was a door on the right side in the corner. "The bedrooms and bathroom are through here," she said.

Sonya and Mandy looked at first the sizeable master bedroom, followed by one of the smaller bedrooms.

"This is the smallest of the three," Maggie said. "An ideal office space for a professional couple."

"Office or storage," Sonya suggested to Mandy.

They walked across the hallway into the third bedroom, which looked to be just about big enough to fit a double bed and some furniture.

"This could be Daria's room," Sonya said.

Mandy started blushing at the mention of Daria in front of the real estate agent, although Maggie obviously had no idea who Daria was. Her assumption would probably be that one of them had a daughter or something.

"An ideal guest room," Maggie suggested.

"That's what we were thinking," Mandy said, doing her best not to sound awkward.

They completed the tour by looking at the bathroom, then going out onto the deck and looking at the garden. By that point, Sonya was convinced that this was the place for her. Maggie tactfully made herself scarce so that they could talk in private.

"What do you think, Son?" Mandy asked.

"I love it," Sonya said. "I think it's one of the best we've seen. Spacious inside, nice location, and it would be great to have a garden."

"The price is reasonable, too," Mandy said, excitement written all over her face. "Do you think maybe we can go for this one?"

A broad smile spread across Sonya's face. "Yeah, I think we can. I'm in favour of buying it. If you are too, I say we put an offer in today. It's reduced price for a quick sale, so we need to get on it before someone else does if we want it."

"I agree. So, we're going to buy it?" Mandy said, almost squealing in delight.

"I think we are," Sonya replied, leaning in for a kiss.

They kissed each other softly on the lips a couple of times, then walked back inside hand in hand. Upon seeing their faces, Maggie smiled. "Those are happy faces," she observed.

"Yes, they are," Sonya grinned. "Maggie, we'd like to make an offer."


	18. Chapter 18

With only one televised appearance under their belts, Sonya and Mandy obviously had not been in contention to appear at the Takeover event the night before Summerslam. As they were not booked, they had been allowed to stay home in Orlando. They knew that, all being well, this weekend would be the last time they watched pay-per-view events in their rented apartment. By the end of the following month, the purchase of their new place was expected to be completed, and they would have moved into it.

To mark the occasion, Sonya had decreed that they ought to enjoy to enjoy a night off their diets while watching Takeover. Persuading Mandy hadn't exactly been the most difficult task in the world, and they had ordered in an enormous pizza from their favourite local place, with a large tub of ice cream each for dessert.

By the time the main event of the night had come around, they had both felt too stuffed to move. Sprawling together on the couch, they had watched Lacey Evans and Elena D'Agostino tear the house down for nearly half an hour before Elena was eventually able to retain her championship, getting a three count after damn near kicking Lacey's head off her shoulders with her superkick finishing move.

The show had ended with both women receiving a standing ovation from the crowd, along with 'women's wrestling' and 'NXT' chants as Elena left the ring, with the closing shot being her standing in front of the stage, holding up her championship belt.

With the show over with, Mandy had flicked through the channels until she found one airing episodes of one of their favourite sitcoms. A few laughs felt like the ideal way to end the night.

An hour later, Sonya was considering suggesting going to bed after the episode they were currently watching. A good feed usually made her sleepy, and tonight was no exception, so much so that she began to drift off, leaning against Mandy as they cuddled.

The sound of Mandy's phone ringing startled Sonya to the point where she literally jumped out of her girlfriend's arms. "Fucking hell. Who's that at this time of night?" she grumbled as she sat up.

"I don't know," Mandy said in a puzzled tone, leaning forward to pick the phone up off the coffee table. "It's Lacey," she announced once she saw the name on the screen.

Sonya raised her eyebrows, wondering if her instinct on what the call might be about was right. She figured she would soon find out enough, as Mandy answered the call on speaker phone.

"Hey, Lacey. Amazing match tonight," Mandy said to her friend.

"Mandy, is Sonya with you?" Lacey asked, sounding excited.

"Of course she is. You're on speaker. What's going on?" Mandy asked, picking up on the excitement.

"Hunter just told me I'm getting called up! I'm going to be on Raw Monday night!"

Mandy squealed in delight, while a broad smile spread across Sonya's face.

"Congrats, girl! You deserve it!" Sonya said loudly, making sure the phone picked her up properly.

"Thank you! I can't believe it. I'm so happy right now," Lacey said.

"You're going to be such a star on Raw," Mandy said. "But what are we going to do without you?"

"Oh god, I know," Lacey said. "I'm going to miss you guys so much. I was so looking forward to being there while you guys started taking NXT by storm."

"Aww," Mandy cried. "While we do that, you'll be doing the same on Raw. You'll be champion within a year, I'm calling it now."

"Well, I don't know about that, but we live in hope, right?" Lacey said.

"Do you know what you're going to be doing Monday night?" Sonya asked.

"No. No idea at all. Hunter and Coach Paige were there when I got backstage after the match. Hunter told me he needed a word, dead serious like. I thought I must have fucked up somehow in the ring and they were about to lay into me for it. Then Paige said if I had any plans to head home, I'd better change them. I asked what she meant, and Hunter said he would see me at Raw Monday night. I felt like my legs were going to buckle under me. I couldn't believe it."

"That's such an amazing story," Mandy said with teary eyes.

"I honestly am so happy for you," Sonya said.

"Thanks guys," Lacey said emotionally. "Listen, I'd better go. I've got plenty more calls I want to make."

Mandy chuckled. "I'm sure you have. Congrats again. We'll speak to you soon, and we'll be watching you on Monday Night!"

Lacey and Sonya said their goodbyes, then the call was ended.

"Bless her, she really does deserve it," Sonya said.

"Absolutely," Mandy nodded as she put her phone back on the coffee table. "I'm so sad to see her go, though. Apart from you, obviously, Lacey is my best friend in WWE. I feel like I'm hardly going to see her now."

"I know you're close," Sonya said sympathetically. "Realistically, yeah, we'll see less of her, but that doesn't mean we have to lose touch with her. Once we're in our apartment, we'll have a housewarming party and we'll be sure to invite Lacey."

Mandy smiled. "That sounds like a nice idea. We should definitely do that. We can have Z, Bay, Charlotte, all of our friends over."

"Sounds like a plan," Sonya said, looking forward to it already.

"It's a shame we can't be at Raw with Lacey," Mandy said. "I'd love to be able to see her having the time of her life on her first night."

"Me too," Sonya said. "But instead we get to spend all day Monday furniture and appliance shopping. What could be better than that?" she said with an eye roll.

Mandy laughed. "You're not selling it to me. At least we'll get to watch Raw when we're done."

* * *

After a long day of shopping, Sonya and Mandy had arrived home with just enough time to get comfortable on the couch before Raw went on air. They were both feeling exhausted, but they could reflect on the fact that they had at least ordered the majority of the furnishings they were going to need for their new apartment. They had also stopped for dinner on the way home, saving Mandy the trouble of cooking anything.

Understandably, the highlight of the Raw episode for them was going to be seeing how their friend Lacey Evans made her debut. They hadn't spoken to her since the call where they had learned about her call up, so they were totally in the dark as to what was going to happen.

It turned out that they had to wait for more than hour to see Lacey on-screen. When her appearance came, it did so as a surprise, particularly for the audience, who knew nothing about the call up ahead of time.

The segment in question began with Kurt Angle, Raw's General Manager, being interviewed by Charly Caruso. As Kurt finished speaking and walked away, the camera panned around to follow him. Coming in the opposite direction was Lacey, dressed, as ever, in one of her classy vintage outfits. This one was a red dress, complimented by a white wide brimmed hat and white velvet gloves. The audience in the arena cheered her appearance on the big screen.

"There she is! Look at her!" Sonya exclaimed, delighted for her friend.

"That pop though," Mandy said. "Son, I'm so happy for her."

Lacey looked at Kurt as she elegantly walked by him, appearing less than impressed with what she saw. It appeared that he was considered a nasty. She continued along the hallway, with the camera panning around to follow her.

A short distance away, a dark haired woman was standing with her back to Lacey and the camera, talking to a group of backstage officials. The dark haired woman was also wearing a vintage style outfit, consisting of a dark grey dress with a matching fascinator style hat. The look was complimented by elbow length black leather gloves. Sensing someone approaching, the woman turned around, revealing herself to be Lucy Thorne.

"Oh shit!" Mandy exclaimed as the crowd went off again. In the eighteen months that Thorne had been the Chairwoman of WWE, she had never made an appearance as a character on TV.

"I've seen her wearing vintage outfits like that on Instagram before," Sonya said. "I never even considered it in relation to Lacey's character though."

Lacey approached the boss, and for once the look of disapproval wasn't present on her face. She actually seemed to like what she saw. "Classy outfit," she commented.

"You too," Lucy said, slightly nodding her approval. "Good luck in your match tonight. I'll be watching."

"A lady makes her own luck. I'm sure you know that," Lacey said.

"Very true," Lucy said, looking like she appreciated the response.

Lacey continued along the hallway, and the shot changed to show the commentary team.

"Holy shit, Mand. They're giving her an angle with Lucy Thorne?" Sonya speculated.

"It sure looks like it! I can't believe it. This is going to be huge for her. Like, is Lucy going to manage her or something? Surely there's no way she was dressed up like that just to do that little segment, with nothing more coming of it?"

"You wouldn't imagine so, would you?" Sonya agreed. "This has to be a huge push. As far as I know, Lucy has never been on a WWE show before. For her to decide this is the right moment to do it has to mean she sees something in Lacey."

"I told her she would be champion within a year. I'm changing my prediction," Mandy said. "I'm saying she'll be champion by the end of this year."

That gave Lacey four months to get the job done. Even with that timescale, Sonya couldn't argue with Mandy, assuming that Lucy Thorne was going to have some kind of on-screen relationship with Lacey. She couldn't imagine that WWE would have pulled the trigger on that merely to have her jobbing every week.

Later in the show, Lacey had her debut main roster match, making quick work of a local wrestler in a squash match. After the three count, Lucy Thorne was shown watching on a monitor backstage, nodding her appreciation for what she had just witnessed.

"Oh my, I'm so here for this," Mandy said.

Sonya laughed. "I know, right? I feel more excited about Lacey's debut than ours."

Now it was Mandy's turn to laugh. "You won't be saying that when we show up for the TV taping on Wednesday. The Golden Gloves are here, baby."

"Hell yeah we are," Sonya said, leaning in for a kiss.


	19. Chapter 19

Moments away from what would be their real televised debut, as they had come to refer to it, Sonya, Mandy and Zelina were standing backstage. They were not in the small Gorilla position, though. They were waiting for their cue to run through the door in front of them, and would then head through the crowd and jump over the ringside barriers.

In the ring, Bayley was about to win a match against a woman WWE had brought in for a one off match. It was something that was done from time to time if they wanted to have a look at a potential future signing. Indeed, Zelina had revealed to her new team members that had once had one such match herself, back in the very early days of NXT.

Bayley's current storyline was that she was being made to 'start from the bottom' if she wanted a shot at the NXT Women's Championship, after losing a number one contendership match to the now departed Lacey Evans prior to Takeover.

After Bayley got the victory, both her character and the audience were in for a surprise.

"Okay, go," Sonya and Mandy's road agent told them.

They ran into the arena, with Zelina not far behind. They had reached ringside before many of the fans seemed to notice that anything was going on. In the ring, Bayley was just getting her three count as Sonya and Mandy came piling over the barriers at ringside, wearing their new Golden Gloves attires, complete with actual golden gloves.

Mandy was first to hit the ring, amid cries of surprise and shouts of warning to Bayley from the fans. The warnings were not headed, and as Bayley stood up to start celebrating the victory, she was nailed in the back of the head with a vicious forearm, sending her collapsing to the mat.

As she joined in with Mandy, laying kicks and punches into Bayley, Sonya had to actively force herself to look mean and aggressive. Her instinct was to smile, such was the enjoyment she was getting from being there beside her girlfriend, working what would be a televised segment. But she had to focus and ensure that the beating looked savage. This was the first impression the audience would get of Zelina Vega and the Golden Gloves, and there was only ever one chance to make a first impression.

The decision to have Bayley be the first to suffer an attack from the Golden Gloves was a clever one on Hunter's part, Sonya thought. Although the attackers were a couple of unknowns, it didn't matter. Anyone attacking Bayley was going to be booed because of her popularity.

With Zelina screaming instructions, Sonya and Mandy continued to kick and stamp on Bayley, who was only able to crawl into a corner of the ring in a pathetic attempt to seek safety.

"Stay on her! That's it!" Zelina shouted as Mandy repeatedly stomped on Bayley's chest while she lay propped against the bottom turnbuckle.

Pointing was enough for Zelina to send Sonya across to the opposite corner of the ring, where she crouched down, lining up her signature move.

"Get her up," Zelina yelled at Mandy, gesticulating wildly to emphasise her instruction.

Grabbing hold of Bayley, Mandy hauled her to her feet.

When the moment was right, Sonya sprinted across the ring and launched herself into the air. Mandy moved aside, leaving only Bayley in the line of fire when Sonya hit a spear. She had done her best to make it look as much like Rhyno's Gore as possible. It was something she had worked on a lot with Coach Purrazzo.

After breaking Bayley in half, Sonya got up and yelled at the crowd. "Where's your hugger now, huh?"

Zelina wasted no time on celebration. There was still work to do. Directing traffic, she ordered Mandy to finish Bayley off, making a slamming motion with her hands.

Knowing full well what the instruction meant, Mandy scraped Bayley up off the mat and lifted her up into the air, in position for the Golden Slam.

"Take her head off!" Zelina screamed at Sonya.

More than willing to obey the instruction, Sonya ran at the defenceless Bayley, leapt into the air and blasted her with a kick to the side of the head.

At the moment of the kick's impact, Mandy slammed Bayley to the mat, completing the utter destruction of the former NXT Women's Champion.

Sneering down at the wreckage, Sonya imagined the commentary team talking up the dastardly act that had just been perpetrated.

Nodding slightly, Zelina looked satisfied with her team's handiwork. The decision had been made not to debut the Golden Gloves theme music in this segment, so the trio only had boos in their ears as Zelina gestured with her head for Sonya and Mandy to leave the ring.

First out of the ring, Sonya waited at the bottom of the entrance ramp for Zelina and Mandy to join her. Once they were all there, they walked backwards up the ramp, looking back towards the ring at the remains of Bayley.

At the top of the ramp, they stopped and posed, Zelina standing in between Sonya and Mandy, triumphantly raising their hands.

"This is what we're here to do!" Zelina shouted, mainly for the benefit of the cameraman who was standing in front of them to get a close up shot of the new team.

That was where the segment would come to an end, as far as TV was concerned. Zelina turned and headed for the back, with her two team members not far behind.

Walking through the curtain into the Gorilla position, Sonya saw Coach Paige and William Regal among the people there. Regal was busy talking, but Paige came over to them. The look on her face told Sonya that she was pleased with what she had seen.

"Awesome, girls," she told them. "I saw shocked faces in the crowd. No one expected Bayley to get an ass kicking like that."

"So it looked good?" Mandy asked hopefully.

"It looked great," Paige said. She looked at Zelina. "Great job. You left no one in doubt that you're the brains behind the operation."

"Yes, quite," Regal said in agreement as he walked over to join them. "Excellent work tonight, both out there and earlier with the promo."

Sonya smiled, thinking back to the promo he had mentioned.

* * *

Earlier that night, Zelina and the Golden Gloves had been instructed to record a promo which would be aired during the second of the three shows being recorded that night. Although their attack on Bayley would be on the first of the three episodes, it was not unusual for promos to be filmed out of sequence. It mattered not, since Zelina had been given pointers on what to say.

Zelina stood in the middle of the two wrestlers she had recruited to do her bidding. As soon as the light lit up on the camera to show that it was recording, Zelina launched into what she had to say.

"My name is Zelina Vega. You have seen me wrestling here on NXT for the past few months, but that's only one of my many talents. What really sets me apart from everyone else here is that I am much smarter, much more cunning, much more calculating than the rest. I did not come here merely to wrestle, I came to take over."

Standing beside her manager, Sonya put her best fearsome expression on her face. She liked the way she and Mandy looked in their Golden Gloves outfits. It could have looked like a really lame gimmick if they had got the ring attire wrong, but no, they looked the business.

"To that aim, I'd like to introduce you to a couple of people." Zelina turned to Mandy first. "This is God's Greatest Creation, Mandy Rose." She turned to Sonya. "And this is the Jersey Devil, Sonya Deville. Together, they are known as the Golden Gloves."

Sonya raised a clenched fist, in its golden glove. Her implication was that she could do a lot of damage with that fist if she was so inclined, or instructed to by her manager.

"As you saw last week," Zelina was saying, "I had the Golden Gloves make a huge statement. We showed up, we hit the ring and we beat the living hell out of a former NXT Women's Champion. It wasn't anything personal against Bayley, she was simply our first target. Anyone in NXT is fair game for the Golden Gloves, so consider this to be me putting the women's division on notice. You won't know if or when we're going to come for you, but Zelina Vega and the Golden Gloves will continue to strike as we did last week, until there is nothing left of the women's division apart from Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville. You have been warned. Let's go, ladies."

Zelina walked out of the shot. As they followed after her, both Mandy and Sonya glared into the camera.

* * *

"You did a great job with the promo, Z," Sonya said as they walked back to the locker room after their attack on Bayley and the conversation with William Regal and Paige.

"Yeah, you're such a good talker," Mandy said. "We're lucky that Hunter decided to put you with us."

"Don't, you'll make me blush," Zelina said with a chuckle. "Besides, I can talk all I want, it would make no difference if the two of you didn't make a convincing job of being the muscle of the operation. And Paige agreed with me that you did a great job out there with Bay."

Sonya smiled in appreciation of the praise and led the group back into the locker room. Thanks to their stop to talk to Paige and Regal, Bayley had made it there ahead of them.

"Great job, guys," was Bayley's friendly greeting when they walked in.

"Thanks, Bay," Mandy said.

"We appreciate you putting us over like that," Sonya said. "You made the beating look very convincing."

Bayley simply smiled. "That's what we're here to do for each other. I'm sure you'll do the same for me when the time comes."

"Absolutely," Mandy promised.

"I like your new team," Elena D'Agostino said from the back of the room, in her Italian accent that was so thick it was sometimes hard to understand. "Next time, you beat me."

Sonya glanced at Mandy and Zelina, wondering if they had a better understanding of what she meant. Due to the language barrier, he phrasing was a lot less than clear.

Elena's closest friend in the locker room was Becky Lynch. Somehow, even with Elena's strong Italian accent and Becky's strong Irish one, they had been able to form a friendship, and could understand each other quite well. It was often a source of hilarity in the locker room to hear them talking to each other, but they made it work.

"She's saying that at the next tapings, it's her arse you're going to be kicking around the ring," Becky advised them. "We ran into Hunter earlier and he mentioned it to us. It's part of the angle with Bay, where she's fighting to get a title shot."

"Ah, I see," Mandy said, smiling at the Italian.

Personally, Sonya was both delighted and nervous at the prospect. She was in no illusion that Elena was a level above everyone else in NXT, even Bayley. Her ability in the ring and the credibility her name had thanks to her work for other promotions was enough to make her a worthy main roster champion, let alone being NXT Women's Champion. Nevertheless, she had been assigned to the developmental brand, and that gave Sonya and Mandy a chance to work with her. Beating up on Daga, as she was affectionately named by her friends and fans, would be sure to generate more heat for the Golden Gloves.

"Looking forward to it," Sonya said.

Elena nodded an acknowledgement as Becky said, "Before that, you're working with me at the live events this weekend."

"Then we'll look forward to that as well," Mandy said.

For the first time, it actually started to dawn on Sonya that she and Mandy really were a part of the NXT roster. They were going to be appearing regularly on TV, and they would now be recognised names at live events, instead of unknown jobbers. They were now properly on the ladder that could, in time, see them climb to the main roster. It was going to be one hell of a journey, and the best part of all was that they would take the journey together, every step of the way.


	20. Chapter 20

It was time for Sonya and Mandy to start getting used to the schedule of regular NXT roster members. They would be working TV tapings once every three weeks, on a Wednesday night. In addition to that, there were mini tours of live events most weekends, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Even that busy schedule was nothing like that of main roster talent, who could sometimes go weeks at a time without a chance to go home.

That was a problem in the distant future though, if they were lucky. Right now, they were about to begin their first road trip as a team, traveling with Zelina. To that end, Mandy was driving across Orlando to the address Zelina had given them. They would be picking her up, then heading up to Jacksonville for that night's event.

"It'll be interesting to see how they play things with us this weekend," Mandy commented, keeping her eye on the traffic as they approached where Zelina lived.

"How so?" Sonya asked, looking over at her.

"Well, I was thinking about it, and yeah, we just did a taping as the Golden Gloves, but that episode where we showed up and attacked Bayley doesn't air until next week."

"Hmm, good point. I hadn't thought of that," Sonya said. "I was thinking we'd be working the show tonight with people knowing who we are, but you're right, we've still not been seen on TV apart from in that battle royal. Watch us get there and be told they're not using us this weekend."

Mandy grunted a laugh. "Don't say that, it'll end up coming true."

Although they were nearing Zelina's address, the traffic was heavy and they were making slow progress. To try and stop impatience setting in, Sonya took out her phone and loaded up Twitter. Her routine whenever she went on there was to check her mentions first, just in case she had been tagged in anything worthwhile. She would then move on to checking her timeline, which mainly consisted of news and sports accounts, as well as her fellow NXT wrestlers.

On this occasion, Sonya found in her mentions the usual amount of tweets she had been tagged in by people for no particular reason. Scrolling down the list of mentions, one tweet in particular caught her attention.

_'Sonya, are you at the NXT event in Jacksonville tonight? It would be awesome to meet you.'_

Sonya saw that the woman who had posted the tweet was named Sarita Lopez. She had added a picture to the message, which showed an attractive Latina with long black hair. She looked to be in her late teens or possibly early twenties, and she was holding a sign with Sonya's name on it in fancy black lettering, along with a rainbow shape in the colours of gay pride.

"Shit, Mand, I have my first fan," Sonya said, overjoyed by the fact.

"Really?" Mandy asked. She was unable to look at the phone as she was currently making a turn into a road that thankfully had a lot less traffic on it.

"I've got a girl on Twitter asking me if I'm at the show tonight and saying she'd love to meet me. She's got gay pride colours on her sign."

"How does she know you're gay?"

"Must have scrolled back through my Twitter or Instagram. It's no secret on there that I support gay pride. I post stuff all the time, as you know."

"Of course," Mandy said with a smile. "It's sweet that you have a fan wanting to meet you. You should make it happen for her."

"You think I can? You think I should?" Sonya asked uncertainly.

"Do I think you can? Sure," Mandy said confidently. "Send her a message and tell her you'll meet her at the entrance to the parking lot or something. As for whether you should, I say why not? You take a couple of minutes out of your day to meet her and shake her hand, you'll probably have a fan for life."

Sonya smiled at that thought, but there was still a concern on her mind. "We're supposed to be heels. Should I be going out of my way to be nice to a fan?"

"Sure," Mandy said, glancing at her and offering a smile. "I see everyone else posting pictures with fans, pictures of fans in their merch, pictures of fan art. It doesn't matter if they're heel or face, they all do it. There's no reason why we should be any different."

"You know what? You're right. Thanks, honey," Sonya said happily. "You always give the best advice."

"Not just a pretty face, huh?" Mandy asked with another smile as she pulled the car up outside a house that the satnav had just informed them was their destination.

Looking out of the window, Sonya saw that they were in what looked like a very recently built housing development. Zelina's house was a two storey affair with an immaculate front lawn. As nice as the place undoubtedly was, it looked rather soulless to Sonya.

While Mandy typed out a text to Zelina to say that they were outside, Sonya went onto the Twitter profile of Sarita Lopez, the fan who had caught her attention. Her bio made Sonya smile.

_'I am the first and biggest Sonya Deville stan. The Jersey Devil will be taking NXT by storm.'_

Sonya also saw that Sarita had her profile set so that people who didn't follow her were not able to send her direct messages. She figured it would be easy to fix that, and what a nice surprise it would be for Sarita when she saw she had been followed by her favourite wrestler. After tapping the follow icon, the option to send a direct message was now available, since they followed each other. Tapping the direct message icon, Sonya typed out a quick message.

_'Hi. Thank you for your support. I will be at the show tonight, and would love to meet you. Wait by the entrance to the parking lot/garage and I'll see you there.'_

"I sent a message to that fan," Sonya reported to Mandy. "She refers to me as the Jersey Devil in her bio. The only way she could know about that nickname at this point is if she had looked up my MMA career. She really must be into supporting me."

Mandy chuckled. "I guess we'd better get used to that kind of thing. Once we're on TV, we'll soon pick up diehard fans."

"It's very humbling," Sonya said. It was hard to comprehend that she meant so much to another person. She determined herself to always adopt that attitude, no matter how far she went in WWE. Being down to earth and humble were the best qualities that anyone with a platform like that offered by WWE ought to have, in her opinion.

"Here's Zel," Mandy said, looking out of the window towards their friend's house.

Zelina was on her porch, locking her front door. When that was done, she wheeled her travel case down the driveway as Mandy got out of the car to open the trunk for her.

"Hey, Zel," Mandy said pleasantly.

"Morning," Zelina said with a smile.

Mandy popped the trunk for her and picked up her travel case to store it next to the two that were already in there. "Nice place you've got here."

"Thanks. It's not mine, though. I'm renting it while I save up a deposit to buy a place of my own."

"We were in the same boat," Mandy said, slamming the trunk shut. "We're actually going through the process of purchasing an apartment right now. We should be in within the next few weeks if all goes well. We're going to have a housewarming once we're in, and we're going to invite a bunch of people from NXT, including you. I hope you'll come?"

"Of course I'll come," Zelina said without hesitation as she walked around to get in the back of the car.

"Morning. How are you?" Sonya asked as Zelina got into the car.

"I'm good. You?"

"Great, thanks."

"Mandy was just telling me you're buying an apartment," Zelina said as Mandy got back into the driver's seat.

"Yeah, we're hoping to be in within a month. It takes so long for all the legal crap to go through," Sonya grumbled.

Mandy set about programming the address of the arena in Jacksonville into the satnav.

"I have all that to look forward to when I go for a place of my own," Zelina said. "I'm renting this one. It's nice, but renting is something to avoid if you can."

"Right. It's pretty much wasting money," Mandy said. With the address set, she pulled away.

"I was texting with Lacey just now," Zelina said. "You'll never guess where she is."

"Jamaica," Sonya said, making a deliberately ridiculous guess for comedic effect.

Mandy chuckled and decided to follow her example. "Paris."

"Lucy Thorne's house," Zelina clarified.

"Oh wow. Why is she there?" Sonya asked raising her eyebrows in surprise.

"Signing a new contract, and discussing their angle," Zelina said. "She was originally supposed to go to the office, but Thorne had some other stuff come up with one of her other businesses or something. I don't know the ins and outs of it, but Lacey said her house is stunning beyond words. She described what Lucy's housekeeper called 'the great room', where the meeting was held. She said it has the biggest window she's ever seen, taking up most of one wall and looking out over beautiful rolling hills. She said it was a truly breath-taking sight."

"How the other half live," Sonya thought aloud. "A housekeeper, and room called 'the great room'. How does Thorne have so much money anyway? She can't be more than ten years older than us, surely? It's insane."

"I was reading about her on Wikipedia a while back. Inherited the family business from her dad when he took early retirement," Zelina said. "And then bought WWE with it, as you do."

"And now she's dating Bobby Roode, if the rumours are true," Mandy said. That was more like the kind of conversation, or gossip, that interested her.

"Yes, I heard that too," Zelina said from the back. "Apparently they were at some charity event together not long back, which pretty much confirmed they are seeing each other."

"That'll be glorious for him, no doubt," Sonya said, implying that he would receive a creative push as a result of the relationship.

"That's awful," Mandy giggled, meaning the choice of wording, not the insinuation.

"Sorry, couldn't help it," Sonya smiled.

* * *

Three hours later, after a stop for coffee and donuts and a drive full of pleasant conversation and laughter, the Golden Gloves trio arrived at the arena in Jacksonville. They were there well before the designated call time, but Sonya saw that a few fans were lingering around the entrance to the area of the parking lot reserved for talent and staff. One of the fans was Sarita Lopez. Sonya recognised her by the sign she was holding; the same one that had been in the picture she had posted to Twitter that morning. There were a couple of security staff there, wearing high visibility jackets. Their job was clearly to make sure that no one got into areas they where they were not allowed.

While Mandy parked the car, Sonya told Zelina the story of learning that she had her first dedicated fan. As she spoke, Sonya checked her Twitter for the first time since writing the direct message to Sarita. She found a reply in her DMs and showed it to Mandy. "Look how happy she is that I sent her a message."

Mandy read the message, in which Sarita said she had cried when she had seen that Sonya had followed her. "Aww, bless her," she said, smiling as she handed the phone back.

"It's good to remember your day ones," Zelina said, meaning fans who supported a wrestler from the start of their career. "You know they are the real ones. I have a few, and I make sure they know I appreciate them. You're going to go and see her, right?"

"Yeah, I'm going now," Sonya said.

"Okay, I'll take your case inside for you," Mandy said.

"Thanks, honey. I won't be long," Sonya said. She leaned across and exchanged a peck on the lips with her girlfriend, then they all got out of the car.

Walking across the parking lot towards the entrance where the fans were congregating, Sonya found herself feeling nervous. She had never had a fan supporting her before, or at least had never personally encountered one. She felt like she didn't know what to say or do, and that put pressure on her once she considered the fact that for Sarita Lopez the next couple of minutes could be a memory that would last a lifetime.

As she approached the small group of fans, they started cheering and calling out to her. Sonya saw Sarita standing with a hand over her mouth, looking like she was about to cry, overwhelmed by the fact that Sonya was actually there, walking over to her. The reaction humbled Sonya. Not for the first time that day, she found it astounding that she meant that much to someone.

"Hi, guys!" Sonya called out as she neared them.

A bunch of excited greetings came in her direction, but Sonya focused on her fan, who cried, "I can't believe you came!"

"Of course I came," Sonya smiled broadly. Reaching the fans, she leaned over the chest high metal barrier and hugged Sarita. "It's great that I can get to meet you and thank you for your support in person."

"Oh my god. You don't have to thank me," Sarita said, a star struck look on her face. "I'm the one who should thank you for coming to see me. It means the world to meet you that you've done it."

"It's my pleasure," Sonya said honestly as they parted. "We can get a picture together if you like?"

"I would love that," Sarita said, barely able to contain her excitement. She took out her phone, fumbling with it with shaking hands.

"Here, I'll hold your sign," one of the other fans said, taking it from her.

"I'll get the picture for you if you want?" a female fan offered.

"Would you? Thanks," Sarita said, handing over her phone.

Sonya leaned over the fence once more so that they could pose with an arm around each other's shoulders. She put a big smile on her face while the other girl took the picture.

"Got it," the fan reported a moment later.

"Thanks, Sonya," Sarita said as she took her phone back, sounding like she was lost for any other words.

"Sure thing. But I want to get a picture of you with that sign, too. Hold it up," Sonya encouraged.

The guy who was holding the sign handed it back to Sarita and she held it up above her head. Sonya took out her phone and took a picture of her, appreciating the huge smile on her face. There was no doubt that she had made this young woman's day, if not her year.

"Great picture," Sonya smiled. "I'll post it later." She leaned over the barrier and hugged Sarita again. "Thanks for coming to see me, and thanks again for your support. It really does mean a lot."

"You're so welcome," Sarita said as they parted for the second time. "I'm going to be starting a fan club for you. I'm thinking of calling it The Jersey Devils. What do you think?"

"I think that sounds like a wonderful idea," Sonya said, wondering if she felt more excited about it than Sarita did herself.

"Awesome! I'm so excited. I'll tweet you about it when I get it going," Sarita said enthusiastically.

"Please do, and I'll tweet it out," Sonya promised.

"You will? Thanks so much, you're the absolute best. When are we going to see you on TV?"

Sonya smiled, thinking carefully about her answer. She couldn't give an honest one, which would have been to say next week. She decided to go with, "Hopefully real soon."

"I can't wait!" Sarita exclaimed. "You're going to kill it."

"I'm going to do my best," Sonya promised, still smiling. "I'd better get myself inside, but thanks again for coming out. Enjoy the show, guys," she added, speaking to the group as a whole. With a parting wave to them all, she turned and walked towards the entrance to the arena.

"Wow," Sonya muttered to herself, shaking her head in a sense of disbelief as everything that had just happened started to sink in. "This has to be the best job in the world."


	21. Chapter 21

"What a day," Sonya said to her reflection. She was standing in front of the mirror in the master bedroom, in the apartment that she and Mandy had finally moved into two days earlier. What a couple of days would have been a more accurate way for her to have put it. Getting all of their belongings from their old rented apartment to this one would have been a mission by itself, but that had been the easy part. Somehow, they had been able to coordinate the deliveries of all of their new furniture and appliances to come during their first two days in the apartment. Getting everything set up and in the right places had been much harder work than Sonya had expected ahead of time.

There was no time to take a relaxing soak in a bath, though. In a decision that she now partially regretted, she had talked Mandy into having their housewarming party on the night of that second day. A rare Friday night without an NXT show to work had seemed like the ideal time to party with their friends, but now they both felt tired and ached all over. There were bottles of wine, vodka and whisky in the kitchen, though, so Sonya knew she had a choice of ways to take the edge off the tiredness and get into the party mood.

Any moment now, the invited guests would start arriving, which was why Sonya had just changed into a pair of black pants and a black and red plaid shirt, and had hurriedly put her hair up and applied some makeup. Thankfully, it was a gathering of friends that was at hand, not a formal occasion. She hadn't needed to dress to impress anyone.

Satisfied with her appearance, Sonya left the bedroom and walked through to the living room, where she found Mandy setting up the TV to play some music during the party. They had purchased a surround sound system too, but it wasn't set up yet. The speakers were currently in the bedroom that they were using for storage, along with countless other boxes and bags.

"I can't believe we're actually ready in time," Mandy said when her girlfriend entered the room. "I never thought we were going to do it."

Sonya blew out a sigh of relief. "I hear you. But we did it. How do I look?"

Happy with the playlist she had selected, Mandy put the TV controller down on the coffee table and looked at Sonya, immediately giving a smile of approval. "Beautiful, of course."

"But not as beautiful as you," Sonya said, taking in Mandy's stunning figure in the white dress she had chosen to wear. It showed off just the right amount of breast and leg to look both sexy and classy.

"I don't know about that, but I'll take the compliment," Mandy smiled. She moved over to the dining table in the corner of the room, upon which she had placed three platters of party food for consumption by any guests who wanted to indulge themselves. "I got the finger food ready," she announced unnecessarily.

"So I see," Sonya said, stepping up behind Mandy and putting her arms around her waist. She admired the way the three platters were laid out in a triangle shape on the table, each one excellently presented in its own right. "Somehow, you even manage to make finger food look appetising and delicious."

"I don't know about that," Mandy said with a chuckle, nestling against Sonya and enjoying her embrace.

"I do. A woman of many talents," Sonya said, kissing the side of Mandy's neck.

The sound of the intercom by the front door buzzing cut into the moment. The first of their guests had arrived at the gated entrance into the community where their apartment was. The added security of living in a gated community was nice, but visitors having to stop and wait to be admitted was an inconvenience.

Sonya walked over and pressed the button to speak through the intercom. "Who goes there?" she asked, making light of the situation to get into the party spirit.

"It's Bayley!" came the excitable, tinny-sounding reply through the speaker.

"Bay!" Sonya cried. "I'll buzz you in. We're apartment eight, to your left as you come in."

"See you in a sec," Bayley replied.

"How did I know Bay would be the first one here?" Mandy said with a smile. It was well known that Bayley was almost always the first to arrive for every NXT show. She lived life on the basis that if she wasn't notably early, she was late.

Sonya opened the front door to make it easier for their guests to see where the right apartment was. Mandy came and stood with her, both just inside the doorway. They saw Bayley come around the corner, hand in hand with Seth Rollins, her partner of a few months. Sonya was happy to see that they had felt comfortable enough to dress casually, as she had suggested. They both had jeans and t-shirts on, and Bayley had a baseball cap on backwards.

"Hi, guys!" Sonya called, waving to them.

Seth waved back, being almost pulled across the courtyard towards the apartment by Bayley. Sonya and Mandy had to laugh at the sight.

"Hey!" Bayley exclaimed as they neared the apartment. "I'm sorry we're a bit early."

"We expected nothing less," Mandy assured her in good humour.

"I've never been with a girl who got ready for things quickly before," Seth said. He reached his two hosts and gave them both a peck on the cheek, starting with Sonya. "Thanks for inviting us over. This looks like a nice, private place to live."

"Yeah, we've been the only noisy ones today," Mandy said. Standing aside, she and Sonya admitted their guests and Mandy closed the door. "There have so many delivery trucks in and out of here the past couple of days the neighbours must have thought we were opening an Amazon warehouse or something."

Everyone laughed as Sonya led them into the living area. She motioned towards the buffet of finger food. "We have delicious food on offer, courtesy of my Queen, and there is wine, vodka, whisky or beer in the kitchen."

"Well that's me sorted out. I'm not sure what the rest of you are doing," Seth said, drawing more laughter from the group.

"I'd give you the tour, but we might as well wait until everyone else gets here," Mandy said. "For now, let me get you a drink. What would you like?"

Seth requested a beer and Bayley opted for wine, saying she would only have one glass as she was driving. As Mandy headed for the kitchen, Bayley had a question for Sonya. "Who else is coming?"

"We invited pretty much everyone in NXT, but some people had other arrangements. It's understandable, wanting to go and see their families or whatever while we have a weekend off. Lacey is coming, as is Becky. She was saying she might bring Dean."

"If they've decided they're dating again this week," Seth said, shaking his head. Becky and Dean had been on and off more times than a light switch in recent months.

"And of course Zel is coming," Sonya added.

"Naturally," Seth said. "The three of you are joined at the hip these days."

"Is that jealousy, Mr Rollins?" Sonya asked, not afraid to get involved in banter with him. "You have your two buddies to play with, you don't have to begrudge me mine."

"I didn't know you played with both of them, I thought that was just Mandy."

"Seth!" Bayley exclaimed, laughing as she slapped him on the arm.

"My hair is up. Don't make me square up," Sonya warned him playfully.

Seth laughed as Mandy returned with the drinks for the two guests. "Who are you squaring up to?" she asked Sonya with a smile on her face.

"Seth. At least I will be if he carries on."

"Don't get blood on our new furniture!" Mandy admonished her, making everyone laugh again.

The buzzer sounded.

"You get that, I'll fetch you a glass of wine," Mandy said to Sonya.

"That's the kind of deal I can get behind," Sonya said on her way over to the intercom. "Who goes there?" she said when she pressed the button to talk.

"You favourite lady," came the in-character reply from Lacey Evans.

Sonya laughed. "Lacey! I'll buzz you in. We're apartment eight, to your left as you walk in."

Pressing the button to unlock the gate, Sonya opened the front door to make it easier for Lacey to find where she needed to be going. To her surprise, a minute went by and there was no sign of her friend. All she'd had to do was walk around the corner from the gate. Sonya couldn't understand what was taking so long.

"What did she do, have second thoughts?" Seth asked, walking up behind Sonya to look out of the door for himself.

Sonya chuckled. "I don't know."

Mandy arrived with Sonya's glass of wine at the same moment as Lacey walked around the corner. The reason for the delay became immediately apparent. Becky, Dean and Zelina were all walking with her.

"The whole gang is here!" Mandy cried.

"Yay!" Bayley squealed hurrying over to join the others at the door.

"Alright, give us a bit of room," Sonya said, laughing. "We're trying to let them in, not keep them out."

"Sure you don't want to reconsider that decision? Z looks a bit suspect to me," Seth asked, to more laughter.

"You won't tell her that," Mandy said.

"Damn right I won't," Seth said. "She'd murder me."

They were all laughing again as the group of new arrivals approached the apartment. Zelina was the first to walk in, followed by Becky, Dean and finally Lacey. Greetings were exchanged all round. Sonya found herself particularly happy to see Lacey. Due to her move up to the main roster, chances to spend time together would be few and far between for them now.

"It was a real stroke of luck the Raw schedule had an off weekend at the same time as us," Sonya said to Lacey after they shared a peck on the cheek in greeting.

"Much needed, I can tell you," Lacey said. "The schedule you're on once you go up, it hits like you like a train. I've never felt so tired in all my life, including when I was in the military."

"It can't be that bad, you're probably flying round in private jet with Lucy Thorne half the time," Seth retorted.

Lacey theatrically rolled her eyes, drawing laughter from the others. "Lucy manages me on Raw. I don't travel with her on day to day business."

"You'd probably make more money if you did," Dean commented.

"No doubt. But wrestling is the better job," Becky said.

"That's something we can all agree on," Mandy said. "Everyone who doesn't have a drink, come through to the kitchen and I'll get you fixed up. Then Son and I can show you around. How come you all showed up together like that anyway?" she asked as she led them into the kitchen.

Lacey handled the explanation. "While I was talking to Sonya on the intercom thing, these guys pulled up. Zel picked up Becky and Dean, and they're going to give me a ride home later."

With that in mind, Zelina opted to only have water to drink, while Becky and Dean chose whisky and Lacey asked for wine.

"I'm going to end up drinking that bottle of vodka by myself at this rate," Mandy commented as she fixed the drinks.

"Well, enjoy that hangover," Zelina said with a grin. Laughter filled the kitchen.

"Alright, let's give you guided tour," Mandy said once everyone had their drink of choice. They walked through to the living room, where Sonya was chatting to the other guests.

"This is a really nice living space," Becky commented. "Bigger than I thought you'd have. That dining table fits in perfectly."

"Yeah, it does," Mandy smiled. "Help yourselves to the food if want any by the way."

Dean had already joined Seth in attacking the buffet of finger food before he had been invited to.

"Look at those two," Zelina said, shaking her head.

"Shit, I made a salad for you, Zel. I've left it in the fridge," Mandy said.

"Aww, thank you," Zelina said, appreciating the consideration shown for her vegan diet.

"You've done a great job of making it a home already," Becky said, looking around the living room.

"We've worked so hard the past couple of days," Sonya said. "If I ever assemble a piece of furniture again it will be too soon."

Bayley had walked over to the back door to have look out at the deck and the garden. "Awesome that you have your own garden and a deck. Such a nice addition."

"Yes. We could have cookouts out there. It would be great," Mandy said.

"Put my name down for that," Seth said through a mouthful of food.

"The bedrooms are through here," Sonya said, heading through the door to the rear hallway. "We're using that one for a storeroom, and that one for a guest bedroom," she added when her friends followed her, pointing to the relevant rooms as she spoke. For obvious reasons, she hadn't stated the true purpose of what was known to her and Mandy as Daria's room.

"Decent spaces," Seth commented. "This is actually really big, for an apartment."

"That's why we liked it," Sonya said in agreement. She walked to the far end of the hall. "The master bedroom is here, and the bathroom opposite."

The group had a quick look into the rooms, expressing their approval and saying how much they liked they place.

"I think you've done really well for yourselves here," Zelina said as they returned to the living room.

"I second that," Becky said. "How about a toast, before we get into some serious drinking? To Sonya and Mandy. May they have every happiness in their new home."

"Sonya and Mandy," the other guests echoed, and everyone clinked their glasses together.


	22. Chapter 22

Entering the backstage area at Full Sail, Sonya felt excited for the night ahead. She and Mandy had talked about little else all day, so hyped had they been about what might be in store for the Golden Gloves on the three episodes to be taped that night.

"I've got a feeling this is going to be a good night, Son," Mandy said.

It hadn't taken long in their relationship for Sonya to learn to trust Mandy's intuition. If she had a good feeling, or indeed a bad one, about something, it usually turned out to be accurate.

"What do you think is going to be good about tonight?" Sonya asked. "Obviously we know we're performing because we were told we're going to beat down Daga. But you're thinking of something more than that."

Mandy nodded. "I am. But I don't know what that something is."

"Now I'm intrigued," Sonya said.

Moments later, they reached the locker room. Sonya pushed the door open and was halfway inside when she froze in her tracks. She stopped so quickly that Mandy walked into the back of her.

"Oh my God," Sonya said, trying to keep her reaction in check as best she could. There was no mistaking the person standing with her back to the door. A white baseball cap with two dark brown pig tails poking out from under it could only belong to one person.

Hearing the door open and Sonya's expression of surprise, Clementine turned around. In the act of doing so, she revealed that Trish Stratus, her tag team partner and the other half of the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions, was also in the room. Two of the main roster's most popular superstars were standing in the locker room at Full Sail as if they had never left.

"Hi, we haven't met," Clementine said with a warm smile, stepping forward and offering a handshake to Sonya. "Clementine."

Sonya realised that she was standing with her mouth open, looking like she was catching flies. She managed to accept the handshake and pull herself together a bit. "Sonya. This is Mandy." She gestured to her girlfriend and looked at her, seeing a dumbstruck expression on her face.

Clementine offered her hand to Mandy. "Call me Clem."

"This is... Great to meet you," Mandy said, stumbling over her words.

Trish came over next, and further humbled them by her choice of words as they shook hands. "I've been looking forward to meeting you guys. I've heard great things."

"That means the world to me... us," Sonya clarified.

"Pick your chins up off the floor and get that door shut," Sasha Banks said from the back of the room.

Glancing behind her, Sonya saw that she had left her travel case standing in the doorway, and it was propping the door open. She quickly moved it, and the door closed itself.

"Why are you guys here?" Mandy asked, at last able to speak legibly.

"Before we won these," Trish said, patting her recently-won championship belt that she had been showing to Bayley and Becky before Golden Gloves' arrival, "Ms Thorne told Clem and I that beginning with our reign, the women's tag titles will be defended on all brands, including NXT."

"We're making an appearance on the show tonight to make that announcement," Clementine said. "It's been kept quiet, so it'll be a total surprise for the fans when we go out there. I have goosebumps thinking about it."

"Girl, that's nothing like the goosebumps we'll have, or those fans will have to see you back on NXT," Bayley said excitedly.

"Yeah, this is a genius idea from Thorne," Becky added.

The door opened, and Zelina walked in, carrying a cup of tea. Sonya realised she must have arrived earlier, and had just been down to catering.

"Ah, here you are," Zelina said pleasantly to her two teammates. "I bet you didn't think we'd be working with these guys tonight, did you?"

Zelina had plainly been referring to Clem and Trish, which started Sonya's head spinning. "Working with... What are you talking about?"

"We hadn't quite gotten that far," Clem said, smiling. "After Trish and I have made our announcement about defending the tag titles on all brands, you guys are going to hit the ring and kick our asses."

"Pretty cool, huh?" Zelina asked Sonya and Mandy.

Sonya couldn't help thinking that someone was about to come into the room and laugh at them for falling for a rib. But no, she realised, Clementine was for real. That actually was what was laid out in the formats for that night. The Golden Gloves really were going to beat down Trishentine, as the popular team were unofficially known. There could be no doubt about it, Zelina and the Golden Gloves were being taken very seriously by management. Sonya wondered if Lucy Thorne had any say in it, or if it was Hunter's idea. Either way, it was a massive opportunity for the new team to make a name for themselves. Possibly the best part of all was that there seemed to be no reluctance at all from Trish or Clem to put them over.

"Why don't you get yourselves sorted out, and we can get together and lay something out," Trish suggested.

"Thank you, yes, we'll do that," Mandy said.

Following Zelina and Mandy over to their lockers, Sonya made eye contact with her girlfriend and they exchanged a 'holy shit' look. "I'm never going to question your intuition about anything again," Sonya muttered. "'I've got a feeling this is going to be a good night.' You weren't kidding."

"I can't wait!" Mandy replied, managing to put an exclamation on it even though she was whispering.

* * *

"I need to order more sets of gold ring attire," Sonya said to Mandy. They were walking with Zelina to Gorilla, not far behind Trish and Clementine. It was time for their second segment of the night, which would be a part of the second episode of three being taped that night. Earlier in the show, the Golden Gloves had attacked Elena D'Agostino while she had been giving a backstage interview. With Zelina issuing maniacal instructions, the NXT Women's Champion had been kicked and punched into submission before being smashed into a steel door and left lying on the floor in a heap. It had been quite a statement.

More was about to come, when Trish and Clem became the next recipients of a Golden ass kicking. Before the violence started, Trishentine were to go out to the ring, surprising the audience, and announce their intentions regarding their newly-won Women's Tag Team Championships.

"Your gear is fine," Mandy replied to Sonya. "But yeah, it wouldn't hurt to have another couple of sets to vary it up a bit."

"I'll have to get some on order, sooner rather than later," Sonya said. She knew she was babbling irrelevancies, it was coming from nervousness. The fact that they were going to work a segment with Clementine and Trish at only their second TV taping was still blowing her mind. But she had to focus. There was no room for looking or acting star struck. Out in the arena, the Golden Gloves had to treat the Tag Team Champions with utter disrespect and give them a serious beating.

Reaching Gorilla, Sonya made eye contact with Trish and they smiled at each other.

"This is going to be a lot of fun," Trish said.

"Enjoy, guys," Zelina said, with one of her dazzling smiles.

Trish and Clem always entered together, to Clementine's music. Moments after Zelina spoke, it began to play. Everyone waiting behind the curtain heard what could best be described as a roar of surprise and delight from the crowd. Main roster talent showing up on NXT was rare in the extreme, let alone main roster champions. Furthermore, the two in question happened to be among the most popular people to have come through the developmental brand.

"Wow," Clementine said as she followed Trish through the curtain, in awe of the reception they were getting. The wall of noise somehow got louder upon their appearance in the arena.

"Listen to that. I have goosebumps," Mandy said.

"Do you think a crowd will ever pop like that for us?" Sonya wondered.

"I hope not, we're heels," Zelina said with a laugh.

"We might not always be," Mandy pointed out.

The conversation stopped because they wanted to enjoy Trish and Clem's moment. The two champions went through their usual entrance routine, Trish standing on the middle turnbuckle in one corner of the ring, pointing out at the fans on the hard camera side of the ring, while Clem made her familiar diamond pose in the same manner that DDP once had. She had thrown her cap out into the crowd on her way down the ramp.

"Such a cool pose," Mandy commented. "Honestly, Clem's such a talent. Some of the crowd responses she gets are unreal."

"Yeah, she is," Zelina agreed. "Stars like her don't come around all that often. But there are three standing right here," she added.

Sonya smiled, but she was more focused on the thunderous 'holy shit!' chant that was now reverberating around the Full Sail arena. Lucy Thorne had wanted the fans to be surprised, and she had certainly gotten her wish.

Watching on a small monitor, she saw that Trish and Clementine were now standing in the middle of the ring, looking around at the standing ovation they were receiving. As one chant began to die, it was replaced with another. 'Welcome back!' was soon echoing around the arena.

Trish fetched two microphones and handed one to her partner. After their music faded out, she was the first to speak. "Wow, Clem, we're back on NXT!"

Another loud cheer came from the crowd.

"We are back, and it feels great!" Clementine exclaimed. "But I'm sure everyone wants to know why we're back."

Trish nodded, a smile on her face. "I'm sure they do. And the answer is quite simple." She patted the title belt that she had put over her shoulder. "Trishentine are the new WWE Women's Tag Team Champions. These titles mean the world to us, and NXT means the world to us."

"Yes it does. This place, and you guys, will always be so special to us," Clem said, motioning to include the whole crowd, who cheered in appreciation.

"That is why we've decided to make a revolutionary decision," Trish said. "The reason we're here tonight is to announce that we're not only going to defend our championships on Raw. We're not only going to defend them on Smackdown. We're also going to defend them right here, on NXT!" Unsurprisingly, the announcement was met by another cheer of approval.

"That went over well," Sonya commented to Mandy and Zelina. Their cue to rush the ring would soon be coming.

"So," Clementine said, "every woman in WWE and NXT now knows they can get a shot at us. The only thing they should keep in mind is that while Trish and I are happy to defend our championships against all comers, we have no intention of losing them. So before anyone challenges us, they should think..."

During her final sentence, Clementine had taken in that the crowd were booing all of a sudden. Sensing someone entering the ring, she had turned to face the entrance side of the ring. She was cut off mid-sentence by a bicycle knee from Mandy, striking her in the side of the head.

Meanwhile, Sonya had also hit the ring. She took Trish down with a stiff clothesline.

Stratus quickly got up, only to take a superkick from Zelina.

While that was going on, Mandy had been kicking the hell out of Clementine, who was curled up, doing her best to protect her body from the blows. Boos rained down on the ring.

"Get her up!" Zelina ordered Sonya, referring to Trish.

Sonya obeyed the instruction, then handed Trish over to Mandy, who loaded her up for A Bed of Roses.

"Do it!" Zelina yelled.

Mandy lifted Trish into the air, then slammed her to the mat with a powerful impact.

In the corner of the ring, Clementine was using the ropes to pull herself to her feet.

"Choke her out!" Zelina instructed Sonya, pointing at Clem.

Only too glad to oblige, Sonya walked up behind Clementine and grabbed her in The Devil's Grip.

Unable to breathe in the chokehold, Clementine flailed around desperately as she was dragged down to the mat. She tried to prise Sonya's arm away from her throat, but the lack of air was already making her fade towards unconsciousness.

"That's it! Choke her out!" Zelina screamed wildly, standing over Clem and looking down at her without even a hint of sympathy.

Only once Clementine had passed out did Sonya release the hold and get up.

Looking satisfied with the work done, Mandy had a nasty sneer on her face as she stepped up next to Zelina. Sonya joined them so that the trio were standing in a line, the bodies of the Tag Team Champions lying before them.

"This is what the Golden Gloves can do! And we're only just getting started!" Zelina shouted at the crowd. Standing in between the two members of her team, she raised their hands in celebration.

Inside, Sonya was buzzing with excitement and delight. For her, Mandy and Zelina, another TV taping was over with, and they had accomplished two beat downs, both of them on people with names much bigger than their own. The Golden Gloves continued to make a statements of intent. But where was it all leading? Sonya couldn't wait to find out.


	23. Chapter 23

"Great. What's this all about?" Zelina grumbled, bringing the Golden Gloves trio's car to a stop. Ahead of them, all three lanes of interstate traffic were gridlocked. The sea of glowing red brake lights was a very depressing sight.

"I guess someone had an accident," Mandy sighed, looking through the windshield from the back seat.

Whatever the reason was for the delay, it was apparent that they wouldn't be moving any time soon. So much for a quick journey from the town where they had just worked a live event to the location of the following night's event. Usually it was easier to travel at night, but not on this occasion.

"I have candy," Sonya offered, feeling as annoyed as the others about the impending long hold up.

"I'll take some," Mandy said. "It's a shame we don't have donuts."

"You two and your donuts," Zelina laughed.

"Hey, don't mock donuts!" Sonya said with faux sternness as she passed the candy around. Zelina declined with a polite hand gesture.

"Son, I don't think we told Z about the show," Mandy said. She was referring to the YouTube show that they had first had the idea for more than a year earlier. They had never done anything with the idea, and indeed it had been forgotten about for a long time. However, Mandy had recently brought it back up, and they had decided that now they were members of the active NXT roster, there was half a chance of people actually wanting to check out videos they published.

"What show?" Zelina asked, looking at Mandy.

"We're going to start a series on YouTube where we eat and review donuts. We'd like to have guests on, too," Mandy said.

"We'd have you on, but obviously you're vegan," Sonya said.

Zelina found the comment amusing. "You can get vegan donuts," she informed them.

"Great, then you can be on the show," Mandy said excitedly. "All we need to do is find somewhere to get vegan donuts."

"So, the show us going to be three people sitting in a room, eating donuts?" Zelina queried, clearly not entirely sold on the idea.

"Eating and reviewing donuts," Mandy clarified. "And we're planning to do it in the car."

Sonya said, "And maybe we'll ask the guests other questions too. It could be like a chat show. With donuts."

Now Zelina smiled broadly. "A chat show with donuts, where people get to know more about wrestlers. You might actually be on to something with that. What are you going to call it?"

"We put quite a bit of thought into that," Sonya said. "Our names don't combine very well, so the best we could come up with was Damandyz Donutz, with a Z at the end of each word."

"Okay, but where does the 'Da' part come from?" Zelina asked.

"My middle name is Daria," Sonya said, hiding her satisfaction at the way she saw Mandy's cheeks redden a little at the mention of the name.

"I like it. It also sounds like you demand donuts."

"We do demand donuts," Mandy said with a laugh. "We demand lots of them."

Silence descended on the car for a minute, with Mandy and Sonya eating their candy and Zelina scowling out at the traffic. "We haven't moved a fucking inch since we got here," she grumbled. "And why do some many people sit with their foot on their brakes? Don't they know what a handbrake is for? Next thing they'll be complaining about is why their brake lights are burned out."

Sonya had to laugh. "You're funny when you're grumpy, Zel. But there's no point getting worked up, it won't get us anywhere any faster."

Zelina looked unimpressed, and didn't say anything for a few moments. "I guess there is something I should tell you guys," she said eventually, changing the subject.

"What's that?" Mandy asked.

"This is only for the two of you to know, so keep it to yourselves," Zelina said. "I'm dating someone from NXT."

"We won't say anything," Sonya assured her, an eager look on her face. "Come on then, who is it? Wait, shall we guess?"

Zelina laughed, shaking her head.

"What?" Sonya objected. "I'm trying to find something to pass the time here."

"Alright, if you want to, you can guess who I'm dating. Be careful with your guesses though, or we might be falling out real soon."

"Is it a man or a woman?" Mandy asked. "I feel like we should at least get that much info."

As there was no sign of the traffic moving any time soon, Zelina killed the engine and turned around in her seat so that she could look at them both properly. "Okay, but this is the only clue I'm giving you. It's a man."

"Roman Reigns," Mandy guessed with barely a second of pause.

"No," Zelina said.

With Reigns ruled out, Sonya couldn't see it being any of the other recruits, especially since Seth and Dean were taken. That left the more established roster members to consider. She decided to guess the first name that came to mind. "Aleister Black."

Zelina shook her head, a noncommittal expression on her face.

"Jesus, you could play poker with that face," Sonya said.

"I do, frequently," Zelina revealed. "I've made some money at it over the years."

"Adam Cole," Mandy guessed, sticking to the original subject.

Zelina clicked her fingers and pointed at her, acknowledging the correct answer.

"Woah, really? Yeah, Zel, I can see you as a couple," Sonya said with a smile. "I'm really happy for you."

"Thank you," Zelina smiled. "It's early days yet, but so far it's going great. He's a real gentleman; kind, funny, just great to be with."

"That's awesome to hear," Mandy said with a smile of her own. "I hope you're very happy together.

"Thanks. I did wonder if he might want to start traveling with us, but no, he's happy with the rest of the Undisputed Era guys."

"Right. We don't want any men in this car anyway," Sonya said, playfully feigning indigence.

Chuckling, Zelina's attention was drawn to the road ahead. Engines were firing up, and cars were beginning to move slowly forwards. "Finally, here we go," she said, starting their car.

They crawled forward for less than a minute before the traffic completely stopped moving again.

"What a waste of time that was," Mandy said dryly.

To avoid getting too irritable over the situation they were in, Zelina opted to make conversation. "So, I was talking to Ember Moon on the phone the other day. She was telling me about some charity work she's involved in."

"Wait, you know Ember Moon?" Sonya asked with raised eyebrows, picturing the popular and unquestionably talented member of the Raw roster. Moon was in fact a two time Raw Women's Champion. For Zelina to casually slip into conversation that they were friends came as a surprise.

"Know her? She's a good friend of mine. We go way back. I can't tell you how many times I've wrestled her for various independent promotions. I even wrestled her in Japan."

"That's awesome," Mandy said. "But what were you going to say about charity work?"

"Ember was telling me she's been involved with a charity looking after homeless people. Volunteering there has made her want to start up her own homeless charity in Orlando, and she wanted to toss ideas around with me."

"And what did you say?" Sonya asked. Finishing the last of the candy, she stuffed the packet into the holder on the side of the door. "Personally, I think homeless charities are something we need more of. I was nearly homeless myself a couple of times. It was awful enough living in my car, working two jobs tending bars just to try and make that work. That was bad enough, so it must be indescribably terrible to actually be on the streets. Anyway, enough about me, tell us what Ember's idea is."

Zelina was looking at Sonya with surprise and newfound respect in her eyes. "You lived in your car?"

Sonya nodded. It wasn't a period of her life she looked back on fondly by any means, but she wasn't ashamed of it. "For a while I did, in LA. I went there to train in MMA. I got into one of the best programs, but it cost a lot of money. It was either give up and go back home to my mom, or live in my car, work my two jobs and train in whatever time I could. It was a shitty way to live, but damn it, I did it. I never gave up on making it in MMA until the WWE offer came."

"I'm so proud of you for that," Mandy said in a heartfelt manner.

"Thank you, honey," Sonya said, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. "I'm sure you'd do the same if you had to. You didn't make it to WWE without fighting battles and working hard. No one in that locker room did."

"Such a good story though, Son," Zelina said. "I have nothing but respect for that."

"Thank you. We still didn't hear about Ember's idea," Sonya pointed out.

"Right, sorry," Zelina said, glancing out of the windshield in the vague hope that the traffic might be moving. There was no such luck, so she turned back to face Sonya. "Ember wants to start a charity for homeless veterans, or veterans who are struggling. The point being it'll be exclusive for veterans."

"I think that's a fantastic idea," Mandy said passionately. "It's appalling how people are treated after they fight for our country. They give so much, and get nothing back once they come home. For them to be left on the streets is a national embarrassment in my opinion."

Sonya hadn't expected the fire from Mandy, but she loved it. "I couldn't agree more. Zel, if it means anything, please tell Ember that we totally support her project."

"I will," Zelina nodded. "I'm sure she'll appreciate that. Maybe you could help her with it? I'm sure she will need volunteers once she gets it going. I already told her I'd be willing to help out if I could."

Sonya liked the sound of that. She would be more than willing to volunteer, even if it wouldn't be often because of the busy NXT schedule. She looked at Mandy. "I'd volunteer. Mand?"

"Hell yeah," Mandy said without hesitation.

The traffic had begun crawling forward again. Zelina got their car moving and said, "I'll tell Ember that next time I speak to her. I'll give her your numbers, and maybe she'll be in touch."

Sonya's thoughts turned to work. Over the past couple of months, the Golden Gloves had continued to make sporadic appearance on the pre-taped NXT episodes, always to attack and beat down one or more members of the women's division. Sonya had hoped that their attack on Trish and Clementine would lead to something huge for them, but the Women's Tag Team Champions hadn't been seen on NXT since, despite creative having them out there to say that they would defend their titles on the brand. To Sonya, it was starting to get frustrating. It felt like the Golden Gloves had arrived with a lot of momentum and had made some big statements, but now the attacks were getting a bit stale. She imagined the fans now had an 'Oh, it's them again' reaction when they showed up.

"Do you think we're ever going to wrestle a match on TV?" Sonya asked the others, sounding bitterer about it than she had intended.

"Sure," Zelina said. "Hunter made it clear they've got plans for us. I know it's getting a bit repetitive with all of these attacks we keep doing, but it won't go on forever. We're just getting started on TV. I'd make a bet we'll start having matches after the next Takeover. They use them almost as cycles. Look at the last one, Lacey lost and then got called up straight away. This time, it'll be our turn to step up and feature more prominently."

The traffic ground back to a halt, having not moved far at all. "Great," Zelina sighed, bringing the car to a stop again.

"I really hope so," Mandy said in response to her on-screen manager's prediction. "I'm so hyped to wrestle. I just want them to let us do it already. Hopefully we won't have to wait much longer."

"Have faith," Zelina said. "We'll be getting matches soon, and then there will be no stopping us."


	24. Chapter 24

It was Tuesday afternoon of the week leading up to Survivor Series. More importantly for the members of the NXT roster, it was the week of Takeover. While that fact made it an exciting time for their colleagues, there was no such emotion for Sonya, Mandy or Zelina. They were not booked to appear on the show, and indeed the Golden Gloves had still not been involved in a televised match on NXT.

After the final TV tapings before Takeover had been completed, Sonya's anger at the situation had come close to boiling over. She was so annoyed about the way they were only being used to inflict what by now had become tedious and repetitive beat downs on members of the women's division that she had wanted to go and speak to Hunter Helmsley about it.

As the more experienced member of the group, and therefore in some senses the leader of it, Zelina had stepped in, taking Sonya aside and talking her down, explaining that it was not wise to get hot-headed. She had reiterated that they had been told there were plans for them, and they had to show some patience and faith while waiting for things to develop.

Although she hadn't been happy about it, Sonya had relented, thanks in no small part to Mandy weighing in and calmly saying that she thought Zelina was right. Sonya had said that she would hold her tongue until the next set of tapings, after Takeover. If they were still not booked in matches then, she insisted on talking to Hunter and asking why their act was being allowed to go stale.

Partly due to her frustrations, Sonya had been working extra hard in training at the Performance Centre since the mini altercation with Zelina. In training the day after that, Sonya had laid into a punching bag without bothering to put gloves on, and had gone so hard at it that she had finished up with both hands bruised and bloodied. It had been painful, but it had felt good.

On this particular day, the Golden Gloves had been granted permission to have one of the rings in the main hall to themselves. They had spent several hours training their disciplines and taking it in turns to have practice matches, with whoever the third member happened to be acting as the referee.

During a quick break after one of the matches, Sonya went over to the water cooler in the corner of the hall. She filled one of the plastic cups with water and downed it all in one hit, savouring the refreshing coolness of it as it went down.

"Ah, Sonya, exactly who I was coming to find," a familiar voice said behind her. It was Hunter Helmsley.

Turning around to face the boss, Sonya told herself to suck it up and stick to what she had promised Zelina, avoiding complaining about Golden Gloves' creative. She put a smile on her face and said, "Hey, Hunter."

Hunter smiled back, but his tone was serious. "I gather you've been feeling a bit frustrated lately?"

Sonya's instinct upon being unexpectedly confronted on the issue was to deny it. "No, I'm good," she said in a positive manner, trying to brush it off.

"Show me your hands," Hunter instructed.

Until then, Sonya hadn't even realised that she had subconsciously hidden her hands behind her back. Even with the wraps on them that she wore for wrestling, the damage from the punching bag session would be easily visible to him. Left with no choice, she brought her hands around in front of her.

Hunter took each of her hands in his and studied the damage on each of them. "Looks like you've been working out frustration to me," he observed.

Sighing, Sonya took her hands back and grimaced. "You could say that."

"Let me tell you something, Sonya," he said calmly. "Nothing happens here or in NXT that I don't know about. Another thing to keep in mind is that I like honest answers when I ask questions. I'm going to take a guess, you're angry because the Golden Gloves have been on TV for a while but you haven't had any matches yet?"

There was no point in trying to conceal it any further, Sonya knew. One of the coaches had probably seen her hammering away at the punching bag and said something to Hunter about it. "Yeah, that's exactly it," she admitted. "It's been getting to me that we always do the beat downs. It feels like the fans are getting bored of us at this point."

Hunter looked pleased with the honest answer, and appeared unconcerned by it. Sonya got the feeling she was about to go to the learning tree.

"I love the passion, Sonya," he said. "You're invested in yourself and your team. That's exactly as it should be. There are a couple of things I want you to keep in mind, however. Firstly, if you have any concerns or problems, my door is open. I'm not saying anything will necessarily change if you come to me with a problem, but I'm always happy to talk to you. Sometimes it can be good to have a chat about how things are going, so don't be afraid to stop by."

Sonya nodded, appreciating the way Hunter handled his people. He made you feel valued and respected, not like someone who was there to eat shit and like the taste of it.

"Secondly, I want you to keep in mind that this is a process, Sonya. Everything in NXT, in WWE, is constantly evolving. It's not all about the Golden Gloves. You're new graduates to the roster. It's a long road to get to the top, but you're on that road. Focus on giving everything you've got to make good progress along the road."

"I understand. I will," Sonya said, feeling bad now for how angry she had been getting. Zelina had been right, there were plans for them. It was important to wait for those plans to come into action. Hunter was giving her exactly the same message that her friend had tried to get through to her.

"Come with me," Hunter said, motioning for her to accompany him in the direction of the main hall.

Walking along beside the boss, Sonya found no further conversation forthcoming. She decided that keeping her mouth shut was her best course of action. Although Hunter wasn't mad at her, she still kind of felt like she had put her foot in it.

Approaching the ring that her group were using, Sonya saw Mandy and Zelina chatting, oblivious to the fact that Hunter was coming over to them.

"Ladies, join me for a minute," Hunter called to them.

Surprise registered on both faces for a second as they turned to look at the boss. Hunter sat on the ring apron, and Sonya sat down next to him, realising that was what she was expected to do. Mandy and Zelina stepped through the ropes and sat down next to her, all of their attention on Hunter.

"So far, you guys have been used for backstage promos and attacks, and for beating people down in the ring. I understand you would have liked to have been having matches by now, but creatively it hasn't gone that way."

"Honestly, we're…" Zelina began, only for Hunter to gently raise a hand, encouraging her to hear him out before saying anything.

"That's about to change. The Golden Gloves have beaten up pretty much everyone on the roster, but they have mostly done it by attacking from behind. Now it's time for that to end. Mandy, Sonya, you're going to start wrestling people in singles match. Whenever one of you is in the ring, the other two members of the group will be at ringside, with Zelina of course taking on the primary role as manager."

"That sounds awesome," Mandy said with a delighted look on her face. "When is that going to start? After Takeover?"

"Close," Hunter said. "It's going to start at Takeover, or, I should say, on the Takeover pre-show. As you know, we always have a couple of matches before the main show starts, and they are taped for the following NXT show. One of those matches is going to be you, Mandy, taking on Sasha Banks. As Sasha has recently turned face, she'll be going over, but this is obviously a big opportunity for all three of you to perform in front of a bigger crowd that you ever have before. Grasp that opportunity, enjoy it, and make the most of it."

"Thank you, Hunter, this means so much to all of us," Mandy said. "We won't let you down."

Hunter nodded, smiling pleasantly. "I know that. What you've been doing recently might not have felt like it was important or significant to you guys, but it was. The reaction you're getting when you come out isn't tedium because people are bored of you, it's annoyance because they know that whoever it is you're coming for is guaranteed an ass kicking. Now it's time to turn that annoyance into outright heat. You're not just going to be attacking people anymore, you're going to be wrestling, and you'll be using all of the heel tactics in the book to get the wins that you pick up."

Sonya joined the others in nodding her acknowledgement of what they were being told. Inside, she was delighted. Finally, the Golden Gloves were going to wrestle. Now, she hoped, there was no stopping them. She fully believed in their potential to become one of the biggest acts on NXT, and hopefully one day on the main roster as well. All she had wanted was a chance for them to prove it, and now they knew they were going to get exactly that.

"That sounds great," Zelina said, smiling. "I can't wait for Takeover now, and I'm sure Mandy and Sonya feel the same way."

"Absolutely," Sonya said.

"That's good," Hunter said as he got up off the ring apron. "I'll leave you to your training. Oh, and next time Sonya decides she's going to take out her anger on a punching bag, make sure she puts some gloves on."

Sonya laughed along with the others as Hunter walked away. To her surprise, it wasn't long before Zelina locked eyes with her, looking seriously annoyed. "I thought we agreed you weren't going to go and speak to him?"

"I didn't go and speak to him!" Sonya objected. "I was at the water cooler getting a drink and he approached me. He was on the way here to speak to us all, and he happened to see me there first. And yeah, he saw the bruising on my hands and put me in my place about not trusting the creative process. So don't get annoyed with me, Zel, the message is heard and understood."

"Guys, let's not argue. This is a great day for us. We're going to start wrestling. And oh my god, I'm going to be in the ring on the Takeover kick off show. My heart is pounding right now."

"Sorry for snapping at you, Son," Zelina said. "I honestly thought you had gone to Hunter's office. But Mandy is right, this is a great day for us. We should celebrate. So, tonight we're going out, and drinks are on me."

Sonya was only too happy to jump on that offer, and to put the moment of conflict aside. "That sounds like a plan. Golden Gloves for the win."

"Golden Gloves for the win," Mandy replied, looking forward to a night out. "Hey, maybe we should come up with a pose or something?"

"Good idea," Zelina said. "We've got until Saturday night to come up with something."


	25. Chapter 25

There wasn't long to go before the start of the NXT Takeover pre-show. Consisting of two matches, the pre-show was intended to warm up the live audience in the arena before the main show started. It also served a secondary purpose, in that the two matches would be taped and used on the next televised episode of NXT.

The first of the two matches on this particular occasion was Mandy Rose vs Sasha Banks. Ever since finding out about it a few days earlier, Mandy had been so excited that she had barely been able to sleep. Fourteen thousand people were expected to pack out the arena for Takeover. What a setting on which to make a televised wrestling debut.

Sonya could tell that underneath the excitement, Mandy was nervous. How could she not be? Sonya had taken it upon herself to be there for her girlfriend, as she was in all aspects of life. Now, as they left the makeup area looking ready for the show, Sonya was getting nervous vibes from her girl again. She realised the time was right to offer some more words of confidence.

Dressed in their ring attire, makeup done, and in Sonya's case, hair up, there was only one finishing touch required before they were totally ready to appear in front of the cameras.

"Son, can you put this on for me, please?" Mandy said, holding out a small bottle of body oil that she had been carrying.

"Of course," Sonya said, taking it. They were standing off to the side of the wide hallway, out of the way of the hustle and bustle that always happened backstage this close to the start of a show.

Mandy held her arms away from her body slightly so that Sonya could start with them.

"I can tell you're nervous, honey," Sonya said after oiling up both hands and getting to work, firmly rubbing the oil into Mandy's arms. "I want you to remember that you, in fact we, have earned this opportunity. We've busted our asses for nearly eighteen months to get to this point. You're great in the ring, and you've got an experienced opponent in Sasha. We both know she's good to work with, once you get past her attitude in the locker room. It's going to be a good match. In years to come, we're going to look back on tonight with nothing but positive memories. Am I right?"

"Yeah, you're right," Mandy said as Sonya crouched down to work on oiling her legs. She was so focused on the match at hand that she didn't pay much attention to the feeling of her girl's hands rubbing the oil into her skin. Ordinarily, she would have revelled in it. "I know it's going to be a good match. It's the damn waiting that's killing me. I just want to be out there, you know?"

"I totally understand," Sonya said.

Standing up a few moments later, Sonya saw surprise in Mandy eyes. She was looking past Sonya, not at her. "What's up?" she asked.

"Lucy Thorne," Mandy said under her breath.

Turning around, Sonya saw the boss approaching them. It surprised Sonya that Thorne would be at an NXT event, but then it was a Takeover, not a regular TV taping at Full Sail. Lucy was wearing a black business suit, as opposed to one of the vintage style outfits she wore on Raw every week as part of her role as Lacey Evans' ally at the top. Beside the boss was Alexa Bliss, the personal assistant who Sonya and Mandy had met before.

"Ladies, hello," Thorne said pleasantly. "Mandy, we've not met. Lucy Thorne."

"Nice to meet you," Mandy said with a smile as they shook hands.

"Sonya, good to see you," Lucy said.

"You too," Sonya said with a smile of her own, noticing that Bliss had hung back, busying herself with a cell phone. "I'd shake hands, but..." She held up her oily hands.

"We're loving you and Lacey together," Mandy said. "It's such a unique angle, and you both look incredible every week."

"Thank you," Lucy said, genuinely appreciating the compliment. "Tonight is your first match, I understand?"

"It is," Mandy nodded. "I was just telling Sonya that I can't wait to get out there. I'm sure Son is going to get her chance in the ring real soon as well."

Lucy looked at Sonya, and Sonya found herself thinking that it seemed like the boss was interested in that prospect. She was reminded of Thorne's past comments about having high hopes for her. For whatever reason, she had the attention of the owner of the company. That had to be a good thing.

"Yes, she will," Lucy said. "And I'll be watching. I'll be watching all three of you. Where is Zelina, anyway?"

"Back in the locker room," Mandy said.

Lucy nodded. "Well, I'll let you get on. Give Zelina my regards, and enjoy the match."

Mandy and Sonya both thanked her. As they walked away, Sonya exchanged a nod of acknowledgement with Alexa Bliss, who was now on a phone call with someone.

"I like her," Mandy said once they were a suitable distance away, meaning Lucy.

"Yeah, she's nice," Sonya said. "But I bet there's another side there if you piss her off. You don't run a company this big without having that string to your bow."

"I'm sure you're right. But we're on the good side right now. She likes you, that's for sure."

Sonya chuckled. "So it seems. If you're lucky, I'll bring you with me on my way to the top."

Mandy laughed heartily. "As if you could get there without me."

"Not a chance," Sonya said, also laughing. "Hey, I didn't finish oiling you up."

"You just want to get your hands on my body again," Mandy said, surprised by how horny she suddenly felt. She was a bit of a mess of emotions, which wasn't a massive surprise.

Sonya looked at her with desire in her eyes. "Knock the match out of the park and maybe Daria will come around tonight."

Mandy made a quiet, uncontrollable noise that sounded like delight to Sonya before saying, "You won't be able to dress like Daria. We're not home tonight."

"Maybe you don't know what I put in my case." With that, they arrived back at the locker room. Sonya led the way inside, finding Zelina and Sasha ready to go Gorilla when the time came.

Before long, that was where they were. Kayla Braxton was in the ring, welcoming the fans to the show and telling them to get loud for the first match of the night. Sonya knew they would have no problem doing that once Sasha's music dropped. It was actually kind of odd that one of the most experienced, and now that she had turned face, most popular people in NXT wasn't on the main card, but that was to the advantage of Mandy and the Golden Gloves.

Mandy smiled nervously at Sasha.

"Relax, you're going to be great," Sasha said. Barely had she finished her sentence when her music hit, drawing a generous ovation from the fans. Sasha stepped through the curtain, and was gone. Sonya was a little surprised by the encouragement coming from Banks, but she certainly wasn't going to complain about it.

"So, we're going to do the new pose we agreed on, right?" Zelina asked them both.

"Yeah," Mandy said. "I just hope I look as convincing as I know Sonya will be."

"Don't be silly," Sonya said, smiling.

Sasha's entrance routine wasn't a long one. Her music soon faded out. Moments later, the fast-paced rock track that served as a theme for the Golden Gloves replaced it. Sonya enjoyed the fact that there were some boos from the fans.

Walking through the curtain, Sonya had a focused, aggressive expression on her face. Inside, she was alive with excitement. There were some empty seats in the arena, but the vast majority of people had made sure to arrive and get settled in before the pre-show. It gave them an amazing audience to work in front of.

On their way to the ring, Sonya walked on one side of Zelina, with Mandy on the other. Their manager and leader walked slightly ahead of them.

"And her opponent," Braxton announced, "representing the Golden Gloves, Mandy Rose!"

Hearing her girlfriend announced for a match was nothing new, but this time Sonya felt immensely proud. Mandy deserved this chance, and Sonya knew she would make the most if it.

The Golden Gloves trio simultaneously slid into the ring, as part of the entrance routine that they had put together after a great deal of discussion. Next came the pose that Zelina had suggested. Taking inspiration from UFC weigh-ins, Sonya and Mandy would stand face to face, fists raised and clenched. Given that the basic concept behind the Golden Gloves was that they were two prize fighters handpicked by Zelina, the pose fitted the gimmick perfectly.

Sonya and Mandy stood in the middle of the ring, almost nose to nose, glaring into each other's eyes as if they were going to fight. Ceremoniously, Zelina stepped in between them and split them up. With some final words to fire Mandy up, the Golden Gloves' manager led Sonya out of the ring. The match was ready to begin.

With Zelina primarily in charge of managing the Golden Gloves, Sonya's job during the match was essentially just to stand at ringside and look invested in what she was watching. It wasn't difficult to pull off at all, since it was her girlfriend's first big match.

In typical heel fashion, Mandy dominated most of the match, using interference from Zelina on one occasion to maintain the upper hand. Several times, Mandy was able to get a near fall, but Sasha was able to kick out every time.

"Stay focused!" Zelina screamed into the ring when Mandy showed signs of getting frustrated and losing her cool. "Get her up, and finish her off!"

Slapping the mat in a sign of aggression and determination, Mandy got up and stood poised, ready to strike. Sasha groggily got to her feet. When she turned around, Mandy kicked her in the stomach and got her in position for A Bed of Roses, her finishing move.

Mandy lifted Sasha into the air, but as Sasha reached the highest point she was able to wriggle free, grab hold on Mandy's arm and send them both crashing to the mat. As they landed, they were in position for Sasha to lock in the Bank Statement, the submission hold with which she picked up most of her wins.

There was barely time for Sonya and Zelina to desperately call out to Mandy to get to the ropes, for she tapped out almost immediately, doing a great job of making the hold look painfully effective.

The fans cheered and applauded Sasha's victory, which was as much a successful outcome for Mandy as it was for Banks. It took two to put on a good match and get the babyface over, and Sonya had no doubt that what she had just witnessed had been a good match, if not a memorable one, at least as far as the fans were concerned. A five minute affair on the pre-show was never going to live long in their minds, but Sonya knew that she would always remember it. Under significant pressure, Mandy had performed like someone with a lot more experience than she actually had, and that was a credit to her.

Prior to the show, Sonya had hoped that although Mandy was going to lose, the Golden Gloves might give Sasha a beating after the match was over. But on this occasion, that was not to be the case. It was probably an issue of time, she reasoned.

Defeated, Mandy rolled out of the ring, holding her arm to sell the pain that had just made her tap out. Zelina and Sonya were standing there waiting for her, and Sonya put an arm around her injured teammate, supposedly to help her walk to the back.

"Great job, Mand," Sonya said quietly into her ear. "That was pretty much a flawless performance."

"I know! I'm so pleased," Mandy said under her breath.

Walking ahead of them, Zelina found herself with a cameraman in her face. She took the opportunity to snarl a few words at the audience before the segment came to an end. "The Golden Gloves are only just getting started!" she said, making it sound like a stark warning to the rest of the women in NXT.


	26. Chapter 26

Any day off was something to look forward to for employees of WWE. While it was true that the NXT schedule was lighter than that of the main roster, Sonya and Mandy were still always grateful for rest days when they came around.

This particular off day was one they had been excited about even more than usual. Thanks to Zelina acting as an intermediary, Sonya and Mandy had been introduced to Ember Moon via a telephone conversation. Ember was a current Smackdown star, and the founder of a new charity for homeless veterans. Today, they would be visiting the charity themselves, and would be spending a few hours helping out. Having only recently opened the charity, largely using her own money to get it going, Ember had been delighted to hear from them, and incredibly appreciative of their offer of help.

Personally, Sonya couldn't have been happier to get involved. If a few hours of her time could make a difference to people who had literally put their lives on the line for their country, she considered it the absolute least she could do. Pleasingly, Mandy had seen it exactly the same way.

"Orlando Veterans Retreat, there it is," Mandy said, pointing out of the windshield at a single storey building up ahead on the right.

"Good eyes," Sonya said. The small sign fixed to the side of the building was the only way to identify it. She could easily have driven by and missed it if Mandy hadn't been there.

Hastily slowing the car, Sonya pulled into the small lot in front of the grey concrete building. There was nothing remarkable about it at all, in fact it looked dreary. But Ember had needed somewhere to base the charity without having to spend a fortune on it.

There were five parking spaces in the lot, two of them already occupied. One of the cars was an almost brand new Honda, which Sonya instinctively knew belonged to Ember.

After Ember and Mandy had agreed the date when they were going to volunteer, Ember had said that since it was an off day for her too, she would make sure to be there in person to meet them and show them around.

Parking the car, Sonya killed the engine and got out. She had dressed simply, in a pair of black pants, a dark blue t-shirt and a black leather jacket. Mandy had gone for jeans, with a grey t-shirt. Mindful that they were there to work with homeless people, they certainly hadn't wanted to be over-dressed.

"I feel really good, Son," Mandy said as they walked towards the entrance. "Like, we might make a difference to people by being here."

"I've been thinking the same thing," Sonya said. "Honestly, I think it's appalling that people who serve get abandoned after they leave the military. What do you think about making a donation? We could speak to Ember about it."

Reaching the entrance door, Mandy stopped before opening it and looked at Sonya. "I agree with the idea, but we don't have a lot of money after spending so much on the furniture and everything for the apartment."

"True. But we could spare a couple hundred dollars or something. I'm sure every little helps, especially now, while Ember's trying to get up and running. It must be costing a serious amount."

Mandy nodded. "Alright, yeah, we'll tell her we want to give a couple hundred dollars. If they have a website online yet, we could tweet it out and ask fans to consider donating. We don't have massive reach, but it's a hell of a lot better than nothing."

"You're totally right," Sonya said. "That's something else we can ask Ember about. Come on, let's go in."

Mandy opened the door, and Sonya followed her inside. Entering into a relatively small dining area, she stopped for a moment and looked around. She counted eight tables. Currently, there was only one homeless person in the room, a man with a mess of long hair and a beard, who was sitting at a table at the far end of the room. He was nursing a cup of tea or coffee and looking down at the table top. Sonya felt instinctively sorry for him.

On the plus side, while not being luxurious by any means, the plastic dining tables and chairs looked new, and the walls had obviously been recently repainted in a neutral magnolia colour. There were some cheap paintings of picturesque landscape scenes for decoration. Sonya also noticed how nice and warm it was in the room, an important thing for people who came in off the streets, she was sure.

From somewhere in the building, there were sounds of some kind of building or renovation work going on. Someone was hammering something, while someone else could be heard sawing timber. Sonya guessed that there were further rooms in the back of the building, some of them still being gotten into a fit state for use. It showed just how new this venture was.

Opposite the entrance door, there was a serving hatch for food and drinks to be passed through from the kitchen. Ember Moon appeared at the hatch, and smiled when she saw who had walked in. "Mandy! Sonya! Thanks for coming. I'll come around now."

Ember disappeared from sight again. A moment later, she walked through a door in the back corner of the dining room, and Mandy and Sonya approached her. Greetings were exchanged, then Ember said, "I guess I should start by showing you around. As you can see, this is the dining area. We serve hot drinks, and meals twice a day."

"That's awesome," Sonya said. "I'm surprised it's so quiet, though. Only one person in?"

"We're so new, we only have three people registered with us so far," Ember explained. "As you know, we're here for veterans. They have to register with us with their military details and stuff before we accept them."

"Only three?" Mandy asked, surprised.

"Three registered, and a couple who have applied. Hopefully they'll be confirmed in the next day or so. It'll pick up once word gets around," Ember said confidently. "To be frank with you, we're not fully operational yet anyway. As I'm sure you can hear, I have workmen in. They're getting what are going to be the two dorms refurbished."

"Let's go have a look around," Sonya suggested.

"Okay," Ember said. "So, this is the dining room, obviously." She pointed to the opposite end of the room to where she had entered. There were two doors next to each other down there. "There are the bathrooms."

"Okay," Mandy said.

"Follow me," Ember said, heading back in the direction she had come from.

Sonya followed behind Ember and Mandy. Upon leaving the dining room, there was a door to her immediate right which clearly opened into the kitchen. Ember pushed the door open and walked in. Following, Sonya saw a male volunteer at work mopping the floor.

"I managed to get all of the appliances donated by local businesses, which was really amazing," Ember informed them. "All I had to do in return was list out each company and what they donated on our website."

"Oh, you have a website," Sonya said. "We were going to ask about that. Mandy and I want to tweet it out and encourage fans to donate. I assume people can donate online?"

"Yep," Ember smiled. "We got that functionality sorted out just a couple of days ago. There's so much that goes in to starting something like this, but it's worth the hard work for such a good cause."

"It looks like you're doing a fantastic job," Mandy said, smiling. "We couldn't be happier to come and help out, and we want to make a donation as well. We've only just moved into a new place, so we don't have a great deal of money right now, but we're going to donate two hundred bucks."

"You are?" Ember asked, delighted. "That will be a huge help. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," Mandy said.

"You mentioned dorms," Sonya said to Ember. "You're going to be offering your clients, if that's the right word, a place to sleep?"

"Yes, that's right," Ember said. "We're a few weeks from being ready with that side of it, but that is the end goal. We're going to have room for eight men and four women when both dorms are finished. At the moment, we don't have the money for furnishings for the dorms, but I'm hoping enough will come in via donations soon so that I can get that sorted. I'll also need more volunteers to staff the place properly."

As Ember ushered them out of the kitchen and showed them further along the hallway to where the two dorms were going to be, Mandy continued the questioning. "So, at the moment you only serve food and drinks. I don't meant to say only like that's not something great, because it really is."

"I know what you meant," Ember said with a smile. "And yeah, right now we offer lunch and dinner. Once we're fully operational we'll offer breakfast as well. I'd like to get some kind of process in place where we help our guests find their way into work so that they can turn their situation around, as well as offering help with any mental health issues they may have."

"I'm sure that can be a big issue with vets," Sonya said. She couldn't imagine what kinds of awful things people would witness on active duty.

"Yes, it is," Ember said, a hint of sadness in her voice.

Sonya and Mandy were shown around the rooms that would become the dorms once the workmen were done with them. Each dorm would have a small bathroom and shower for the occupants to use. Sonya felt sure that it would be like heaven on earth to someone who had been sleeping rough.

"This is a great little place you've got here," Mandy said when the tour was over. "I'm sure I speak for Sonya as well when I say I couldn't be happier to be involved, and I don't see today being the only time I'll come to help out."

"Absolutely, I agree," Sonya said. "Obviously with our schedules we can't come often, but I am happy to put a half day in whenever we can."

"It's much appreciated," Ember said humbly.

On the way back towards the kitchen and dining room, Mandy clapped her hands together enthusiastically. "Alright, what can we do to help today?"

"Two choices," Ember said. "My job for the day was going to be painting the bathrooms, but you guys can do that if you want? Either that or help to serve lunch. If you do that, you could maybe get to meet the three people we've currently taken on."

"There was only one guy in," Sonya reminded her.

"The others will be here any moment, in time for lunch," Ember promised, leaving no room for doubt.

Sure enough, as they walked back into the kitchen and Sonya looked through the serving hatch, she saw that two other homeless people, a man and a woman, had arrived and sat down at the table with the guy who had already been there. The man had a crew cut and was very well built. The dark haired woman didn't look remarkable in any way, but Sonya felt sure she had a story to tell nonetheless.

"Those are the three you have registered with you right now then," Sonya said quietly, not wanting to be overheard. "Who are they?"

Standing next to her, Ember also opted for a hushed tone. "The guy with the long hair is Jim Duggan. He served for twenty two years. The other man is John Cena, a former marine. And lastly there's Lisa Moretti. She was Special Forces, and had the code name Ivory, so she told me. That's one badass woman right there, even though she might not look it."

"Special Forces? Shit," Mandy breathed in admiration. "I think I'd like to help with the meal, then have a chat to them, if that's okay?"

Ember nodded, then gestured to the male volunteer, who was now making hot drinks for the two new arrivals. "Jordan here will do the cooking. You guys can do the serving and the washing up."

"Sonya's speciality," Mandy said with a look in her eyes that only Sonya could have understood.

"Oh really?" Ember asked, smiling humourously, even if she didn't really understand the remark.

"Mandy likes to watch me do dishes," Sonya said, deciding that it was fair game to embarrass Mandy back, since she had fired the first shot.

"Well, whatever floats your boat," Ember said, raising an eyebrow. "So long as dishes get washed, you can stop by any time you want."

"Noted," Mandy said, her cheeks flushing nicely, as far as Sonya was concerned.

Happy with her handiwork, Sonya decided it was time to get down to business. "Okay, Ember, show us how we get started."


	27. Chapter 27

The food served at the Orlando Veterans Retreat looked delicious, Sonya saw. Jordan had just handed her a plate of grilled chicken and salad that she could quite easily have sat down to eat herself. It wasn't served with the panache that Mandy would have managed, but it was a lot better than anything Sonya could have come up with herself. Her chicken would probably have turned out burned on the outside and raw in the middle, she thought with a smile.

"That looks nice," Mandy commented.

"Simple, but yeah, nice," Jordan said. "We do potato and veg with dinner, but something lighter like this for lunch. You can take that out to the guys," he added to Sonya as he set about plating up the second portion.

Sonya left the kitchen and walked through to the dining room. She felt a bit nervous about approaching the three veterans, for a reason that she didn't fully understand. It wasn't as if they were going to attack her or something.

Noticing someone approaching the table, the woman called Lisa looked up at Sony and her eyes widened somewhat. "Oh, we've got someone new today. Who are you?"

"I'm Sonya," she replied with a smile. "I'm a wrestler, working for the same company as Ember."

"What about the other girl?" the man with the long hair and beard asked. Sonya thought she recalled Ember saying his name was Jim.

"That's Mandy. And yeah, she's a wrestler too."

"She's fucking gorgeous," Jim said, surprising Sonya and making the other two veterans shake their heads at him.

Sonya did her best to take the rather inappropriate comment in her stride, and managed to smile. "Yes, I know she is. She's my girlfriend."

The man called John laughed at Jim being put in his place.

"Good for you," Lisa said. "Ignore this pig's manners, he's not so bad once you get to know him."

"Maybe I can get on his good side with some grilled chicken and salad," Sonya wondered, setting the plate in front of Jim.

"Thank you," he said. "I didn't mean any offense. I sometimes speak before I think."

"Don't we all?" Sonya said, graciously letting him off the hook.

Mandy came into the dining room, carrying the remaining two plates of food. "Hi!" she said brightly to the three guests, as Ember had referred to them.

Muttered greetings were sent in Mandy's direction before she put the plates of food down on the table.

"So, how come you guys are here?" John asked as he started attacking his food.

"We wanted to come and help out," Sonya said in a friendly manner.

"We think it's disgusting that people like you who served our country get, uh…" Mandy floundered for a word, not wanting to offend anyone.

"Abandoned," Lisa suggested, drawing unhappy murmured agreement from the others.

"Well, yeah," Mandy said. "We think this project of Ember's is such a good cause, so we wanted to get involved."

"And we're going to make a donation, too," Sonya added.

"Good of you," Jim said through a mouthful of salad.

"We try our best," Sonya said, feeling touched by his words.

Mandy said, "Since it's our first day here, we wanted to start off by serving food and drinks, and we were hoping to maybe sit down and have a chat with one of you, or more. It would be nice to get to know you."

"Chat to her," Jim said, looking at Lisa. "She could talk a glass eye to sleep.

John laughed.

Lisa managed a smile at the humour, but she answered the request seriously. "Let me eat this, then I'll sit and talk to you."

Sonya nodded, belatedly realising that she and Mandy should have left them to get on with their food in peace. "Can I get anyone another drink?" she asked before leaving the table.

Jim was the only one to take her up on the offer. "Another coffee, please. Jordan knows how I like it."

"Coming up," Sonya said. She followed Mandy back to the kitchen, where they found Jordan cleaning the grill. "Jim would like another coffee. He says you know how he likes it."

"Yeah," Jordan said. "I'll fix it for him in a minute. Did I hear you two volunteer to wash up?"

"You heard me volunteer Sonya to wash up," Mandy said, giving her girl a cheeky grin and getting an eye roll in reply.

"If I'm washing, you're drying," Sonya said, grabbing hold of a nearby towel and flicking it at Mandy.

"Hey! Enough of that!" Mandy squealed as she dodged out of the way. Both women were laughing, having a great time.

There was no sign of Ember. Sonya assumed she had gone to start on her task for the day, painting the two bathrooms. Either that or she had gone back to the dorms to speak to the workmen.

"Right then, I guess it's time to wash up. I feel like I do this enough at home," Sonya said, walking over to the sink. As she did so, she tossed the towel to Mandy so that she had something to dry the dishes with.

Getting the water running to fill the sink, Sonya decided she might as well try and give Mandy the pleasure she was hoping to get out of this situation. At least making her horny would likely lead to sex when they got back to the apartment. "Hey, Joran, do you have any gloves? I don't want to ruin my nails," she said, quickly making up a reason that didn't sound as weird as, 'it turns my girlfriend on when I wear them'.

"There's a bunch of stuff one of the other volunteers brought in the other day," Jordan said. He pointed to a row of cupboards above the work surface that ran from the sink all the way to the wall. "She put it all in that far cupboard."

Walking down there, Sonya opened the cupboard. Inside, she found several bottles of bleach, a multitude of sponges and clothes, and a couple of unopened pairs of rubber gloves. She opted for a black pair, taking them out and opening the packet. "Black ones, Mand. I hope that works for you?" she asked, enjoying embarrassing her, mindful that Mandy had started all of this by volunteering her to do the washing up.

Mandy glanced over at Jordan, who mercifully didn't seem to be paying attention to them. "Stop embarrassing me!" she said to Sonya under her breath, trying her best to hold in a laugh.

"I was only asking," Sonya said, a picture of innocence. She wriggled her hands into the gloves, happy to see Mandy watching her. With that done, she made a point of stroking Mandy's cheek, knowing full well that it would drive her crazy. "Sadly, time to work," she said coyly.

"I think I need Daria to come around real soon," Mandy said, unable to stand still, such was her excitement.

"Be good, and we'll see what happens when we get home," Sonya said, grinning.

Washing up everything that had been stacked in the sink took Sonya ten minutes, by which time Jordan had gone and fetched the plates from the three guests, who had finished their meals. Sonya washed them up as well, passing each one to Mandy to dry when she was finished. She was surprised to find herself feeling turned on while she worked. The only reason she could think of was the public setting in which she was indulging Mandy's fetish.

"Why do I feel like that was the best part of your day?" Sonya asked when the task was completed. She peeled off the gloves and put them on the work surface next to the sink.

Jordan had wandered out of the kitchen, so Mandy was free to say what she wanted. "It might well have been. I can't confirm or deny. What I can say is I think Daria should get herself some gloves like that. She's never had black ones."

"You never know what might happen," Sonya said in a noncommittal tone.

"I know Daria has black tape she can use on me," Mandy said, trying her best to entice Sonya's alter ego into an appearance.

"Yes, she does," Sonya said.

At that moment, Ember walked back into the kitchen. She was now dressed in overalls, and was carrying a couple of large cans of paint. Sonya realised she must have gone to her car to get her supplies, and then gotten changed into the overalls in the bathroom.

"Hey," Ember said happily. "I'm about to start the painting. How are you guys getting on?"

"Great," Mandy said. "We served the food and washed the dishes. We're about to go through and talk to Lisa. She said she would like it."

"Great work. Thank you so much," Ember said. "You'll like Lisa, but she prefers to be called Ivory, her code name in the Special Forces."

"Noted," Sonya said with a nod. "She hasn't said that to us yet. When she does, we'll be sure to do as she wishes."

"Thank you. I'm sure she will appreciate it," Ember said. "Well, I'm going to get started with the painting. I just need to grab a few things."

"I'll hold the door for you," Sonya said as Ember walked over to one of the kitchen cupboards. She put her paint cans down, opened the cupboard and started taking out brushes, rollers and paint trays.

"Here, let me help you with that," Mandy said, going over to pick up the cans.

"Thanks," Ember said.

Sonya stood and held the door open to allow Mandy and Ember to walk out. When they left, heading for the bathrooms, Sonya followed them into the dining room. She found Jordan sitting with John and Jim, playing some kind of card game, using candy instead of money. She guessed Jordan had provided it all, and would likely be sure to see the other two leave with it. The thought made her smile.

Lisa had moved over to another table, where she was reading a newspaper that had turned up from somewhere. She looked up from it as Sonya approached her.

"Can I sit?" Sonya asked.

"Of course." Lisa motioned to the seat opposite her, closed the paper and tossed it aside onto the table.

"Thank you," Sonya said, taking the offered seat. "Ember was telling us you were Special Forces. I have to say, that is seriously impressive. I have massive respect for you."

"It was the best part of my life," Lisa said, seeming happy to talk about it, which made Sonya feel a little relieved. "My code name was Ivory. I still like people to call me that."

"Alright, Ivory it is," Sonya said, not betraying the fact that she had already known that piece of information.

Mandy arrived at the table then, and smiled at Lisa as she sat down.

"Lisa was just telling me that her code name in the Special Forces was Ivory," Sonya said to her girlfriend. "She would like us to call her that."

"Ivory, I like it. It sounds badass," Mandy said, smiling across the table.

Ivory nodded, expressing a vague sense of appreciation. "I was just starting to tell Sonya that my time in the Special Forces was the best period of my life. I had never found my calling in life until I joined the military. I never had a job I aspired to do. I never knew what I wanted to be. I was never comfortable with what I was doing until I was on active duty."

"Can I ask exactly what you did in the Special Forces?" Sonya asked.

"I was a sniper. I hunted people."

Sonya felt a chill run down her spine at the terminology Ivory had chosen to use. It was cold in the extreme.

"Hunted people?" Mandy said quietly, glancing at Sonya.

"That's right. Enemies of our country. I hunted them, and killed them."

Trying to force her discomfort aside, Sonya went with the first question that came to mind. "How far away could you, uh, shoot someone from?"

"My longest confirmed kill was just under a mile," Ivory said matter of fact, pride the only emotion in her eyes.

"It sounds like you were an extremely distinguished soldier," Mandy said. "How did you, uh…"

"End up of the streets?" Ivory finished for her. "Yes, I was distinguished. I won medal for my service. And do you know what they mean one you leave? Fuck all. I came out with not much money saved up, nowhere to live and no job. I found somewhere to rent, but I couldn't get a good job. I struggled to make rent, and eventually my landlord kicked me out. Once you're living rough, you've got no chance of finding work. No one wants to take you on. It's a vicious circle. I've been living on the streets for more than a year now. Orlando Veterans Retreat is the first time anyone has tried to do anything to help."

"That is awful," Mandy said quietly, sounding sympathetic, but also disgusted that it could be allowed to happen.

"That's why this project that Ember, god bless her, has started will be so helpful to people like me. Once she's up and running properly, she wants to have programs to help people get back into work. That's all I want. I've never wanted handouts. I want the chance to work and take care of myself. I'll stack shelves, I'll scrub toilets, I'll tend bars. I don't care what work it is, if it pays enough for me to put a roof over my head, I'll do it."

Sonya could not have found Ivory's attitude any more admirable. "I can promise you that Mandy and I are going to do what we can to get people to donate to help Ember, to help you guys."

"And we're going to encourage people to volunteer, too," Mandy said. "A lot of wrestlers live in Orlando. It's where we have to come to train when we sign for WWE."

"You guys are good people," Ivory said warmly.

With the ice broken, Sonya and Mandy sat there talking to Ivory for more than two hours. By the time they got up from the table they had made a friend, and were very much looking forward to the next time they visited Orlando Veterans Retreat.


	28. Chapter 28

The first Christmas morning in their own apartment had been a special one for Sonya and Mandy. Some weeks earlier they had considered traveling to spend the holidays with one of their families, but since they had been unable to agree on which family it should be, they had decided to stay home. It was a decision that they were now grateful for.

Not having to get up stupidly early had been the first bonus. It had been past 8am when they had eventually risen, enjoying being able to get the day going at their own pace.

Before breakfast, gifts had been exchanged. They had promised each other that they would not go crazy with the amount they spent on each other. In a funny twist, it had turned out that they had both chosen to buy a necklace. Both necklaces were silver, with the pendants being the only real difference.

Sonya had taken a long time to find the necklace she had chosen for Mandy. Eventually, she had been able to acquire the exact design she had wanted. The pendant was quartz, formed into a cross. It looked just like the one Sonya had tattooed on her side. The intention was that the necklace would always remind Mandy of Sonya, especially if they ever happened to be apart for a period of time.

The thinking behind Mandy's choice of necklace was not dissimilar. She had chosen one with a red heart-shaped diamond. When Sonya had first examined it, Mandy had said that the colour was intended to be rose, to remind Sonya of her.

"And to remind you that my heart belongs to you," Mandy had added, almost moving Sonya to tears.

"I love you, Mandy Rose," she had replied.

Later that day, the responsibility of cooking their Christmas dinner, which they were actually going to eat at lunch time, had fallen to Mandy. Not only was she a tremendous cook, no one would probably have dared to eat whatever Sonya might have prepared if she had been given the task.

Busy in the kitchen, Mandy had left Sonya relaxing in front of the TV in the living room, or so she thought.

"Mand!" Sonya called through to the kitchen, her tone conveying a request for Mandy to go in there.

"I'm a bit busy, honey!" Mandy called back.

"I know! But there's something I need you to see!"

Mandy tried not to let herself be irritated, despite how much she disliked being interrupted while she was cooking. She made sure nothing was going to be ruined if she walked away for a few minutes, and walked through to the living room. She found Sonya sitting on the couch, still wearing the Santa hat that she'd had on all day. There was some kind of large scrapbook on her lap.

Sonya greeted her girlfriend with a smile and held out the scrapbook. "I got you one more thing."

"What is it?" Mandy asked, a pleasantly confused expression on her face as she walked over.

"Have a look," Sonya encouraged.

Taking the scrapbook, Mandy saw that Sonya had drawn a title on the front in artistic gold lettering: 'Golden Gloves: The Story So Far!'

"Son, what is this?" Mandy cried, opening the cover.

"Something I made. I hope you like it."

Mandy was taken totally by surprise by the wonderful gift. Looking through the pages, she saw glossy print outs of photographs of herself and Sonya. Some had been taken at their old apartment. Some had been taken at the Performance Centre. Others were fan's photos from NXT live events. Towards the middle off the scrapbook there was a selfie-style picture of everyone who had been at their housewarming when they had moved in the new apartment. And lastly, there were shots from the NXT Takeover pre-show where Mandy had made her debut, and some from a more recent TV taping, where it had been Sonya's turn to wrestle on TV for the first time. The back half of the book was currently empty.

"I hope you like it?" Sonya asked eagerly.

Suddenly, Mandy burst into tears. Surprised, Sonya jumped up. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing's wrong," Mandy said, trying to get control of herself. "This is the best gift anyone has ever given me. I love it so much. I love you."

"I love you too," Sonya said. Taking the scrapbook, she put it down carefully on the couch. When that was done, she embraced Mandy and held her tight, cradling her head in a loving gesture. "I'm not good at much apart from wrestling. I'm not a creative person. But I really tried my best with that book, so I'm glad you like it."

Squeezing Sonya tightly, Mandy laughed. "Like it? I adore it. We'll have to sit down later and look through it in more detail. But what a lovely, brilliant idea." Having stopped crying, she pulled away and wiped tears from her eyes

"And we still have the second half to fill. Who knows what other memories we will put in there?"

Mandy kissed Sonya lovingly. "I don't know, but I can't wait to share them with you, whatever they are."

They kissed again, but were interrupted by the sound of the alarm on Mandy's phone going off in the kitchen. Wonderful gift or not, the meal that was cooking still needed attending to. "I have to get back in there," she said reluctantly.

* * *

Setting her knife and fork down on her completely empty plate, Sonya sighed contentedly. She pushed her chair back from the dining table in the corner of the living room and spread out her arms and legs. "Wow. That was amazing, Mand. I am absolutely stuffed. If it hadn't worked out for you in wrestling, you could have been a chef."

"I'll stick to wrestling for a living and cooking for enjoyment," Mandy smiled from across the table. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. It wasn't the best turkey I've ever cooked, but..."

"Girl, don't," Sonya said. "It was divine. I am so full, and I'm tired. I feel like I could have a nap."

Still smiling, Mandy grunted a quiet laugh as she got up from the table. "Bathroom," she announced.

Left to her own devices, Sonya finished off her second glass of wine of the day, then took out her phone. She had a Whatsapp message from Zelina, wishing her a merry Christmas and asking if she was having a good day.

Typing out a reply describing her day so far and asking Zelina how her first Christmas with Adam Cole was going took Sonya a couple of minutes. As she was finishing, she heard Mandy walking back into the living room. "Zel sent me a message," she said, turning around on her chair to face her girlfriend.

Approaching the table, Mandy had a small box wrapped in gift wrap in her hand. It even had a bow around it.

"What's this?" Sonya asked in surprise.

Saying nothing, Mandy held out the box to her.

Taking it, Sonya saw a tag attached to the bow. She turned it over and read it out loud. "For Daria, with love."

"For Daria?" Sonya asked, looking Mandy in the eye. She saw some mischief there.

"That's right. You didn't think I'd go without buying Daria something did you?"

Christ, I'm a lucky woman, Sonya thought. She untied the bow and lifted the lid off the box. Inside was a brand new roll of red duct tape. An odd gift for almost anyone to get for Christmas, but perfect for Daria.

"Well, I'm sure Daria will appreciate the gift," Sonya said, taking the tape out of the box. "I'm sure she will be able to make good use of it."

"Red is the colour for Christmas," Mandy said. "And I know Daria has red gloves she hasn't worn yet. I remember you putting them in the cart when we were shopping a few weeks ago, and I haven't seen them since."

There was a strict rule about Daria's room: Mandy was not allowed to enter unless accompanied by Daria. That way she never knew exactly what surprises might await her in there. It had been a couple of weeks since the last time, so Sonya wasn't surprised by the eagerness. Not for the first time, she considered herself lucky that all she had to do to get her girl fired up was put on some sexy underwear and a pair of rubber gloves. Honestly, the gloves alone would probably be enough for Mandy.

"I can't comment on where they might be," Sonya said, putting on her Daria voice for the first time in a while. She delighted in the excitement she saw in Mandy's eyes at the fact that she had managed to make Sonya's alter ego come out to play.

"How do I find out?" Mandy asked eagerly.

"You start by stripping to your underwear," Daria instructed.

Not needing to be told twice, Mandy quickly kicked off her shoes and removed her top and her pants. In moments she was standing before Daria wearing only a red underwear set. Thanks to being the first one into the bathroom that morning, Sonya hadn't seen what she had put on until now.

"Oh, you chose red," Daria said in approval. "Very festive, and a perfect match for the tape I happen to have."

"And you're going to tape me up with it?" Mandy asked innocently, knowing all of the best ways to get Daria to respond to her.

"Yes, I am," Daria said as she scooped Mandy up in a smooth, fluid motion and dumped her down on the couch, lying on her front. Mandy's only response was to squeal in a combination of surprise and excitement. She made no attempt to resist.

Wasting no time, Daria had already found the end of the roll of tape. She set about wrapping it around Mandy's wrists, binding them securely together behind her back. With that done, Mandy was essentially hers to do whatever she wanted with. But she wasn't done with the tape yet.

Playing her part perfectly, Mandy said, "Are you going to gag me as well?"

"You know damn well I am," Daria said. Climbing onto the couch, she kneeled straddling Mandy's back. Leaning forwards, she pulled a long length of tape tightly over Mandy's mouth, then wrapped the tape around her head a couple more times to make sure that the gag had no chance of coming loose.

"Mmmppph!" Mandy cried into the tape, enjoying how muffled she sounded as much as she knew Daria would do. By now, she was used to the feeling of being securely bound and gagged, and was turned on by it. She also knew that for her, the best was yet to come.

"Now, no kicking, or I'll have to tape your ankles up as well. And trust me, you'd rather be able to spread your legs in a minute."

Mandy writhed against her bonds, more in sexual excitement than a desire to escape the predicament she was in. She grunted ineffectively into her gag, trying to express her willingness to comply.

"Don't try and talk," Daria said unsympathetically. "It'll be a while before you can do that again." With that, she hauled Mandy up from the couch and slung her over her right shoulder, enjoying the muffled protest that came in response.

Heading out of the living room, Sonya used her free hand to open the door to the sanctuary that was Daria's room. It had a double bed with a metal frame that was perfect for tying Mandy to if she so desired, and it had an entire chest of drawers full of goodies that could be used for sexual pleasure, most of which consisted of sexy lingerie in various colours, with pairs of rubber gloves in matching colours. There were also different coloured rolls of tape stashed away, but they would not be needed on this occasion.

Laying Mandy down on the bed, Daria had a strict instruction for her. "If you want me to pleasure you, lay still."

"I want you to pleasure me," Mandy tried to say. The words were of course muffled and indistinguishable behind the tape, but she knew her futile attempts to talk excited Daria.

"I usually put my hair up before I tape up. I guess I'll have to do it afterwards this time," Daria said, using a hair band that had been around her wrist to tie her hair into a ponytail.

Next, Daria moved over to her chest of drawers. "Red seems to be the colour of the day, so let's see what I have, shall we?"

Breathing heavily, Mandy felt warmth and dampness between her legs already. She knew exactly what was going to happen next. Daria was going to wear the red gloves that she had been looking forward to so much.

Knowing what Mandy wanted to see, Daria made a point of changing into a red lace underwear set before producing the matching rubber gloves from the drawer. She turned around and held them up, showing them off to the taped up woman on the bed. "I know you like rubber gloves, Mandy. What do you think of these? They're longer than the ones I usually have. I bet they'll go most of the way up my forearms."

As long as you touch me with them, I don't mind how long they are, Mandy thought as she moaned in anticipation.

After pulling the gloves on, Daria got onto the bed, lying next to Mandy. Mandy awkwardly turned slightly onto her side so that they were looking eye to eye, almost nose to nose.

"Look how tightly your mouth is taped. Fucking gorgeous," Daria said, allowing herself a moment of indulgence.

"Mmm," Mandy sighed weakly, trying her best to look helpless.

"Good girl. I think I shall reward you with you first orgasm. The first of many, of course."

Daria slowly slipped a hand down the front of Mandy's underwear and entered her with two fingers. She was able to feel how wet Mandy already was through the glove. It came as no surprise. Being fingered with rubber gloves was a sure fire guarantee to get Mandy off.

Since it was to be only the first orgasm of many, Daria didn't make any attempt to caress Mandy in any way with her other hand, or to kiss her. That would come later, as would oral, and maybe even a vibrator or two, as things got more intense. For now, her well-practiced hand job technique would be more than adequate to get Mandy there.

Only a coupl of minutes in, she could feel Mandy responding to every motion of her fingers, and her thumb rubbing her clit. Lying with her eyes closed, Mandy was gasping and moaning into her gag, and her wrists involuntarily strained against their bonds as she began to convulse, nearing her peak.

"I love how quickly I can make you come," Daria said.

"Oh my god," Mandy cried in ecstasy. As ever, it came out as muffled nonsense. Even so, her pleasure came across perfectly well.

"That's it," Daria urged, quite calmly. "Come for Daria."

Mandy's eyes opened and rolled back slightly as she released, gasping loudly into the tape.

"Good girl," Daria purred, feeling Mandy's warm fluid soaking her gloved fingers. "Merry Christmas, Mandy."


	29. Chapter 29

"It is now time for the women's Royal Rumble match!" Greg Hamilton announced, standing in the middle of the ring. He spent what seemed like ten minutes explaining the simple rules of the match, with the fans waiting impatiently. "And now, it's time to find out who drew number one!"

After a short pause, Ronda Rousey's music hit. Although she was a heel, the huge crowd at Arizona's Chase Field came to their feet, making one hell of a noise. For the past year or so, Ronda had been utterly dominant on Raw, only losing the Raw Women's Championship thanks to a triple threat match, where she herself had not been beaten.

Of all the people to enter at number one, Ronda was the worst as far as the rest of the entrants were concerned. Entering the ring and facing her was not something anyone would look forward to.

It didn't take long for Ronda to storm down the aisle and enter the ring, looking ready to tear anyone she encountered limb from limb. She stood on the opposite side of the ring to the entrance and limbered up while Hamilton made his next announcement.

"And the person who drew number two…"

The Riott Squad's music began to play. Liv Morgan came up the steps to end of the aisle and sprinted to the ring. If she was daunted about taking on Rousey, she showed no sign of it.

A bit more caution may have been advisable, for after Liv slid into the ring she stood up right into a flying clothesline from Ronda that damn near took her head off her shoulders.

Scraping the unconscious Riott Squad member up off the mat, Ronda tossed her over the ropes like a piece of garbage. Liv's participation in the match had lasted about as long as her entrance.

For the first time that night, since the men's rumble was going to be later in the show, the crowd had the chance to count down from ten in anticipation of the next entrant.

Standing behind the curtain, Sonya said a short prayer in her head, as she did before any match she took part in. A few weeks earlier a rumour had done the rounds saying that this year's women's rumble match would focus more on NXT talent than on returning legends. Sonya had hoped it was true and that she and Mandy would get a chance to appear. It had been a huge surprise when she had been told she was going to be entrant number three.

The countdown finished and a loud buzzer sounded in the stadium. The Golden Gloves theme hit, drawing a groan of disappointment from the crowd. Sonya took pleasure in it, thinking that it was exactly the reaction a heel stable like theirs should get.

Stepping through the curtain and walking up the few steps to the end of the aisle, Sonya tried not to look mind-blown by the fact that nearly 50,000 people were watching her. The biggest night of her professional life was at hand.

With her hair already up, Sonya went through a shadow punching routine and shouted, "Time to square up, baby!"

Unlike Liv Morgan before her, Sonya wasn't stupid enough to rush the ring. In fact she did the opposite, taking her sweet time to walk down the aisle. Her character was an understudy of Zelina Vega, which meant she was wise enough not to hurry into a one on one situation with Rousey.

Reaching the ring, Sonya climbed up onto the apron. Ronda's glare was locked on her, and her fists were up, ready to fight.

The Golden Gloves music faded out, but Sonya didn't get in the ring. The fans booed what they saw as cowardice. Sonya felt sure one of the commentators would call the correct reason she wasn't getting into the match yet; she wasn't dumb enough to do so.

"Get in and fight!" Ronda screamed at her.

Sonya responded by sticking a middle finger up at her and getting down off the apron. More boos came her way as she began walking around the ring. She made sure to mouth off in character at a couple of the more aggressive fans in the front row.

Nearing the corner of the ring on the commentary table side, Sonya got a surprise. In the front row was the fan named Sarita Lopez, who Sonya had met some time back outside of an NXT event. Sarita called herself the first Sonya Deville stan, and was a frequent promotor of Sonya on Twitter and Instagram to say the least.

As yet, the Golden Gloves did not have any official merchandise. That hadn't stopped Sarita, who was wearing what had to be a shirt she'd had custom made. It had Golden Gloves in big gold lettering, with a picture of two gold boxing gloves punching each other. Sonya would have loved to have gone over and said something to her number one fan, but that would not have been in-character.

"Go, Sonya! Kick her ass!" she heard Sarita yell at the top of her voice as she walked by.

Sonya continued pacing around the ring, ignoring the boos. Eventually the countdown for the next entrant started.

Figuring that Sonya wasn't going to come into the ring and fight her, Ronda turned her attention to whoever was going to come out next.

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

The buzzer sounded.

Clementine's music hit. The crowd came to their feet, cheering on one of their favourites.

Unlike Sonya before her, Clem showed no reluctance at all as she came down the aisle, throwing her baseball cap out into the crowd. Her expression and her stride were all business.

Sliding into the ring, Clem went right after Ronda, and they started hammering away at each other with right hands.

For Sonya it was the perfect moment to finally enter the ring. Coming at Rousey from behind, she smashed a forearm into the back of her head, knocking her down.

Sonya Deville's first Royal Rumble appearance was underway.

* * *

As was the way with rumble matches, Sonya had spent a fair amount of it on the mat once the ring had started to fill up. It was necessary so as to give everyone involved a chance to get some moves in.

The Golden Gloves music began to play, which told Sonya they had reached entrant number fourteen. Mandy was on her way to the ring.

It was time for Sonya to get to her feet, as when Mandy hit the ring it would be time for them to get some spots in.

Ronda Rousey and Lacey Evans had just knocked each other down, leaving centre stage clear for the Golden Gloves with near perfect timing.

Sonya and Mandy posed together in their now familiar manner before Mandy picked up Ember Moon from the canvas and got her up in the air in position for the Golden Slam.

Sonya came off the ropes and jumped into the air, kicking Moon in the side of the head. In the same moment, Mandy slammed Ember down onto the mat.

AJ Lee, the one returning legend in the match, was the next one on the receiving end of a Golden Slam. The outcome was as devastating for her as it had been for Moon.

Going for a trifecta, Mandy picked Lacey Evans up off the canvas and hoisted her up into the air. Sonya hit the ropes, ready to deliver her kick. She knew that this time Charlotte Flair would come into the picture to stop her.

Even though she was prepared for Charlotte to give her a Big Boot, things went awry. She put her hands up, but Charlotte's foot missed them and blasted her right in the side of the head. It was no ones fault in particular, both of them had slightly messed up their timing.

Hitting the mat, Sonya barely registered the loud reaction from the crowd to the brutal kick in the head. All she could hear was ringing in her ears, and the lights above the ring appeared to swim around.

Fuck, that's a concussion, Sonya thought. She had her wits about her enough roll away from the middle of the ring.

The next thing she was aware of was a referee leaning over her as she lay on the edge of the apron. "You okay?" he asked with some concern.

"Yeah, just need a minute," Sonya replied. She had no intention of telling him that she was fucked. This was the biggest match of her life, and she was absolutely not going to leave it earlier than she was supposed to.

From that point on, even with her overwhelming determination, competing proved to be difficult for Sonya. Charlotte's kick had properly rung her bell. Every time she tried to move around the ring at any kind of speed the stadium started to spin around her, and she felt like she was going to spew up. The ringing in her ears also continued.

Even so, half an hour later, Sonya was one of the final four women in the match, having lasted all the way from number three. Trish Stratus, Lita and the hated Melina, one of the biggest heels on the main roster, were the other three.

Melina, Stratus and Lita were all on their feet, sizing each other up now that the real crucial phase of the match was about to begin. By now, out of character they all knew that Sonya was hurt, so they were improvising a bit with regard to what they were going to do.

Having been in the ring for nearly an hour, by far the longest she had ever wrestled, Sonya would have been struggling fitness wise even without taking the kick in the head. With that added to the equation, she could barely stand. As the other three women went into battle, all finding their second wind, Sonya used the ropes to pull herself up. She heard some cheers from fans who realised that she was giving literally everything she had to keep going. As if lasting all the way from number three wasn't enough, they had all seen the kick she had taken from Charlotte, so it wouldn't have been hard for them to figure out what the issue was.

Thankfully, Sonya saw that she had made it to her feet in time for her next spot. With Lita now down on the mat, Melina had been able to bundle Trish over the top rope, but not with enough force to eliminate her. She was standing on the apron, and had grabbed hold of Melina, hoping to pull her over the ropes.

Somehow, Sonya managed to run across the ring and leap into the air, intending to kick Melina's head off. However, Melina was able to get free of Trish's grasp and duck, leaving Stratus as the one to take the kick. It hit her in the side of the head and knocked her off the apron into elimination, drawing groans if disapproval from the crowd. Of the final four, Trish had been their favourite.

Delivering the kick nearly made Sonya fall back to the mat, such was her exhaustion. Thankfully, she grabbed the top rope and kept herself upright. Turning around, she found Lita running at her, looking like she was going to deliver a clothesline that would mean elimination.

Sonya ducked her head, countering, and used Lita's momentum to send her flying over the top rope to the floor. Just like that, only two competitors remained.

Slumping to a sitting position against the ropes, Sonya willed herself on. She couldn't fail to get up again now. She drew strength from the crowd, who she saw getting to their feet, now cheering her on. Yes, she was a heel on NXT, but that seemed to have been forgotten about. She was in the final two of the Royal Rumble, something an NXT competitor had never achieved before, and she had gotten there all the way from the number three spot. She felt sure a lot of people couldn't believe what they were seeing. Also, now that Melina was the only other possible winner, Sonya became fan favourite by default. Almost no one wanted Melina to get a title shot at Wrestlemania.

Across the ring, Melina was also in a sitting position on the mat. They locked eyes, and began to get up. The final battle was about to commence. A 'let's go, Sonya!' chant started to fill the stadium.

Summoning everything she had left, Sonya walked forward and started exchanging right hands with Melina, before the devious former Raw Women's Champion got the upper hand by kicking Sonya in the knee.

With her opponent clearly running on empty, Melina decided it was time to close out the match. She grabbed Sonya by the back of her head and ran her towards the ropes, throwing her over the top one.

The fans cheered loudly when Sonya landed on the apron, not eliminated. In the ring, Melina was celebrating the win she thought she had just earned, walking towards the opposite side of the ring with her hands raised in triumph.

Sonya stepped back through the ropes and rushed up behind Melina. The fans roared Sonya on as she pushed her opponent forwards and over the top rope. Unfortunately she did not have enough momentum to send Melina to the floor.

Ending up on the apron, Melina surprised Sonya by jumping up, using the ropes for leverage, and wrapping her legs around Sonya's chest. She used that position to lever Sonya over the top rope, but again there was not enough momentum to make her fall to the floor.

Both women were now on the ring apron, both having gone over the top rope. The fans were on their feet, knowing the end was at hand, one way or another.

Spinning around, Sonya aimed a very tired looking roundhouse kick at Melina. If it had connected, it might have been a winner, but Melina easily ducked it. In the same motion, she swept Sonya's other leg, knocking her off balance and causing her to fall to the floor.

As the fans booed and the bell sounded, Sonya found herself lying on her back on the floor. The adrenaline rush that had been keeping her going began to subside immediately, and she felt too exhausted to move.

One of the referees came over and crouched down beside her. He used one of his hands to perform what she knew was a concussion test on her eyes, testing their reaction to the light. "You okay? Can you get up?" he asked.

Over the top of Melina's music, Sonya heard a pyro display start going off in celebration of her victory, not that the fans would feel like sharing in her moment of joy.

Sonya just lay there breathing heavily, feeling too exhausted to even answer the referee's question. All she knew was that she wanted to walk out of the stadium. She had no intention of being carried out after what could prove to be a once in a lifetime performance.

The ringside doctor appeared next, presumably having been summoned by the referee.

"She's got a concussion, by the look of it," the referee reported. "She's out of it."

"Yeah, she is," the doc said as he performed a test of his own.

Sonya didn't like them talking about her as if she was a slab of meat, but she couldn't find the energy to speak up for herself. The one positive she could think of was that the ringing seemed to be fading now that she wasn't pushing herself to continue wrestling.

She was aware of the doctor signalling to the back for some help. She knew that he was requesting a stretcher to take her backstage. Suddenly, she thought of Mandy. She would be watching this on a monitor and probably panicking, wondering how badly Sonya was hurt.

"I want to get up," Sonya said, finding energy again. She was determined to show everyone that she was okay. Putting her hands on the floor, she pushed herself up to a sitting position.

Melina's music stopped playing, meaning that she had left the ring.

Shortly, a couple of medical personnel arrived with a stretcher.

"Let us get you on the stretcher," the doctor urged.

"No. Help me up. I want to walk out," Sonya insisted.

The referee moved around to the other side of Sonya, indicating his willingness to go along with what she wanted.

"Alright," the doctor said. He put an arm around her and joined the referee in helping to lift her to her feet.

To Sonya's surprise, she heard applause. Taking a moment before starting walking, she realised that it wasn't merely applause, she was being given a standing ovation.

The ovation meant more to Sonya than she could have out into words, but she didn't have the strength to acknowledge it. She concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other as she was helped around the ring and up the aisle.


	30. Chapter 30

"How are you feeling now?" Mandy asked Sonya. They were at the hospital, Sonya having been sent there by WWE's doctor not long after getting backstage following the rumble match. They were both grateful of the fact that Mandy had been allowed to leave the show early to go with her.

"Considering I have my first ever concussion, not too bad," Sonya replied. She was sitting up in her bed, in the private room she had been given. Over the course of the couple of hours they had been at the hospital, Sonya had developed a serious headache, and had started to feel nauseous. Both of those things were concussion symptoms, she knew.

"I'm pissed at Charlotte," Mandy said from her chair by the side of the bed.

"Don't be, I'm not," Sonya said. "The mistake was mine as much as hers. Our timing was off. It's not like she meant to kick me in the head."

"She should have been more careful," Mandy insisted. "I'm surprised she was in the match. She's hardly even been on NXT TV yet."

"Come on, Mand, give her a break," Sonya said. "These things happen, and she felt bad about it. You know she came to see me and apologise as soon as I got to the back. Besides, in a weird way, being all messed up like that might have made my performance look more impressive. I'm sure no one expected me to make the final two."

"You were amazing," Mandy gushed, taking her hand and holding it affectionately. "I don't know how you kept going, but impressive is definitely the word. You got a standing ovation, girl."

"I'm looking forward to watching it back," Sonya said, closing her eyes against the latest wave of pain in her head. She knew she would get the time, too. A concussion would likely put her on the shelf for a while, hopefully not too long.

"You okay?" Mandy asked with concern as she saw the reaction to the pain.

"I will be," Sonya assured her.

"I guess Thorne got what she wanted," Mandy said.

Sonya shook her head slowly, thinking back over the mind-blowing night. The absolute last thing she had expected was for Lucy Thorne to come and see her in person to explain the plan for the match. The boss had wanted to tease the most unlikely win in Royal Rumble history, with a relative newcomer to NXT going all the way from entrant number three to finish runner up.

Sonya had barely been able to believe what she was being told, but of course she'd had no intention of arguing against taking such a massive opportunity. A performance like that would be monumental for her character, and for her career.

"I just hope she saw what she wanted to see from me," Sonya said.

"There's no doubt she did. You gave literally everything you had out there tonight, to the point where you couldn't walk out by yourself. What more could anyone ask?"

Sonya managed a smile. "But I did walk out."

Mandy chuckled. "Yeah, you did." She got up off her chair. "I'm to go see if I can buy myself a decaf coffee somewhere. I'd ask if I could get you something, but you should stay on the water."

Cringing at the thought of drinking coffee, Sonya nodded. "Yeah, I still feel like I could spew. No coffee for me."

"Okay, I'll be back." Mandy leaned over and gave Sonya a delicate kiss on the forehead.

"I won't be going anywhere," Sonya said with another smile. It was the best attempt she could make at humour.

Mandy left the room, her heels clacking on the tiled floor as she walked.

Much as she appreciated Mandy's company, love and support, Sonya closed her eyes and sighed, relaxing in the silence. Having nothing for her brain to focus on was helping the headache to subside a little, or at least it felt like it was.

The sound of heels on the floor outside made Sonya jump. She realised she had started to drift off to sleep. She actually wasn't sure if she had slept for a few minutes, for it felt like Mandy had only just left.

The footsteps reached the open door to Sonya's room, and she saw that it wasn't Mandy who had been coming.

"Hello, Sonya," Lucy Thorne said. She stood in the doorway in a dark grey business suit, a million miles away from the vintage style dress she had been wearing earlier in the night for a short backstage segment with Lacey Evans. There was a look of concern on her face. "Mind if I come in? How are you feeling?"

Jesus Christ, the boss came to see me in the hospital, Sonya thought, immediately concerned about what kind of fucked up mess she might look like. "Yeah, uh, come in," she said, willing her muddled brain to act faster. "Thank you for coming. I didn't expect it. A visit from the boss, I mean."

"You got your head nearly kicked off your shoulders on my show," Lucy said as she crossed the room. "I figured the least I could do was come and see how you are."

Sonya felt a newfound respect for the chairwoman. She actually did care about her people, and wanted them to know that. "I'm not too bad, thank you," she said. "My head's pounding, but that'll hopefully pass overnight."

"I hope so," Lucy said. She had stood by the side of the bed, unwilling to take the chair that was obviously Mandy's. "You were great out there tonight. It was exactly what I wanted. I think people actually thought you might win, and now there's a lot of buzz around the name Sonya Deville."

"There is?" Sonya asked, smiling.

"You should look on Twitter," Lucy suggested. "Where's Mandy by the way?"

"She's gone to get a drink." As she said it, the sound of heels on the floor returned. "In fact here she comes, I think."

Lucy turned to greet Mandy when she entered the room. Sonya looked forward to seeing her girlfriend's reaction when she found the boss in with her.

Mandy started speaking to Sonya as she neared the doorway. "I wonder if they could put the coffee machine further..." She stopped in her tracks as she walked in, seeing Lucy standing there. "Ms Thorne. Hi."

"Hello, Mandy. I stopped by to see how Sonya's doing. I won't be stopping long, so don't worry about me ruining your evening."

"No, thank you for coming," Mandy smiled, recovering from the surprise. "You're not ruining everything. Hey, there are some more chairs down the hallway, I'll go grab you one."

Much as Sonya appreciated the visit from Lucy, she felt awkward about trying to start conversation. She knew nothing about the woman, and felt like business was the only thing they would have in common. They lived very different lives, that was for sure. Thorne probably earned more in interest in a day than Sonya made in a month, or even a year. "I love the whole thing with you and Lacey," she ventured. "Both of you look so great every week, dressed up like that. I can't relate. I'd look awful in outfits like those."

Lucy smiled warmly, grateful for the compliment. "Thanks. I've always liked that kind of look. When I first saw Lacey's character, I loved it. That was before the opportunity to buy WWE presented itself."

Whether she had meant to or not, Lucy had just pretty much admitted to playing favourites, at least to an extent. She liked Lacey's character, and Lacey was being pushed. She liked Sonya, and the events at the rumble were definitely a big indication of a future push. Sonya filed that knowledge away without comment. If she was on the favourites list, she wasn't going to complain. It could only be a good thing for the Golden Gloves.

Mandy walked back into the room carrying a chair. She put it down near to her own.

"Thank you," Lucy said, sitting down.

"I was checking Twitter while I was at the coffee machine," Mandy said, taking her seat again. "Everyone's talking about you, Son."

"Ms Thorne was just telling me that," Sonya said.

"You can call me Lucy, I don't bite," Thorne said.

"Lucy was just telling me," Sonya corrected, feeling out of place using the owner's first name, even with permission.

Mandy had her phone out. She read aloud from Twitter. "Tonight's MVP is Sonya Deville. What a performance." She paused for a moment, then read another tweet. "Sonya Deville left everything in the ring. I thought she was going to win, I swear. A star was born tonight."

Sonya shook her head slightly, incredibly humbled by the high praise.

"I was thinking on the way here that we could make something of this," Lucy said. "You know how Shawn Michaels was always called Mr Wrestlemania?"

Thanks to the knowledge that she had picked up during her time with WWE, Sonya could answer honestly. "Yeah."

"I'm thinking we'll have you do well in the rumble again next year, and Sonya Deville can become known as Ms Royal Rumble."

"That sounds great to me," Sonya said, smiling. "Thank you for having faith in me. I often think back to what you said to me that first time we met, not long after Mandy and I joined NXT. It gives me a lot of motivation."

"That's nice to hear," Lucy smiled. As she did so, the sound of a phone buzzing came from her pants pocket. She got up and said, "I'll leave you to it. Hopefully you'll feel better in the morning, and you'll be back in the ring soon. Mandy, nice to see you. Good job tonight."

"Thanks. Nice to see you too," Mandy smiled.

On her way to the door, Lucy answered her phone. Sonya and Mandy sat in silence for a moment until she was gone.

"That was nice of her, to come and see you I mean," Mandy said.

"Right?" Sonya exclaimed. "I thought they'd put me on some powerful drugs when she walked in. I thought I was tripping."

Mandy laughed. "She seems like a genuinely nice person. Lacey gets along really well with her."

"Yeah," Sonya agreed before moving on. "There is one thing that bothers me. I don't want people to be talking about Sonya Deville. I want them to be talking about the Golden Gloves. The three of us are a team."

Mandy retrieved the coffee she had fetched from the table at the side of Sonya's bed. "We are a team. But that means when something big happens to one of us, we all benefit. I didn't last long in the match tonight, but you did. You were out there representing Golden Gloves. Besides, it's not like me or Zel would ever begrudge you success. Speaking for myself, I love you and I will be by your side no matter what."

If she had been able to reach, Sonya would have gone in for a kiss. Mandy's words meant a hell of a lot. However, there was one problem. "Thank you, honey. I know you feel that way, and of course I feel the same way about you. But I notice Zelina hasn't come to see me in here. I can't pretend that doesn't hurt my feelings."

Mandy looked at her in confusion. "Son, you told her not to come."

"I did?" Sonya was taken aback. She had no memory of that at all.

"Yeah," Mandy said, concerned by Sonya's apparent memory loss. "She said she would come as soon as she could, but you told her a couple of times not to, that you would be fine. You were getting worked up, so she agreed."

"Damn. I don't remember any of that. This must be a proper concussion. Let's hope it doesn't keep me out for long."

Reaching over, Mandy took her hand and squeezed it. "I'm sure it won't."


	31. Chapter 31

WWE were very cautious when it came to concussions. If Sonya hadn't been sure of that before, she definitely was now. Although she had felt pretty much back to normal a few days after Charlotte had kicked her in the head, WWE's senior doctor's decision had been that she would be restricted to light training only for a month.

Light training only meant a couple of hours a day at the Performance Centre, running the ropes and taking the most basic of bumps. It also meant no wrestling, and definitely no televised appearances. It therefore also meant not traveling with Mandy and Zelina when they were on the road working NXT live events.

Being away from Mandy had been the hardest part of the whole thing. At night, with only her necklace with the rose coloured heart pendant to keep her company, Sonya had felt incredibly lonely. That loneliness had given her a renewed appreciation for Mandy, and for their relationship. She considered that there was only one true love out there for a person, and hers was Mandy. She knew that without even a shadow of doubt.

"I love you, Mandy. I'm so glad that month is over," Sonya said. They had just arrived at Full Sail for a night of TV tapings. Sonya's return to action, she had been told, would at long last be taking place during one of the three episodes to be taped.

"I love you too, baby," Mandy said. "And I'm so glad you're back. It was tough, but we got through it."

Leaning in, they exchanged a delicate but passionate kiss. With that, it was time to head inside. They fetched their bags from the trunk and made their way into the building. When they entered the locker room, they found most of the other women had already arrived before them.

Charlotte Flair happened to be one of the closest women to the door, standing in conversation with Becky Lynch. As the person who had inflicted the concussion that had put Sonya on the injured list, Charlotte was quick to approach her and offer a smile. "Sonya. Welcome back. I'm glad you're back to full fitness."

"Thanks, Char," Sonya said warmly. They had texted each other enough times over the past month for Charlotte to be sure there were no hard feelings over the incident. Sonya's stance all along had been that accidents happened in the ring, it was as simple as that. Charlotte had not meant to kick her in the head, so what would have been the point in giving her grief about it?

Moving over to her locker, Sonya received smiles and greetings from most of her colleagues. The NXT roster were something of a family, meaning that anyone who was injured was missed by all until they returned.

Once Sonya had been welcomed back by everyone, Zelina walked over to join her two teammates. "Great to have you back, Son. It hasn't been the same without you."

Sonya smiled. "Thanks, Z. Listen, there's something that's been on my mind while I've been off. I wanted to talk to you about it in person. That night after the rumble, apparently you wanted to come to the hospital to see me, and I told you not to bother. I want to apologise for that, if I seemed rude or dismissive of your friendship. You know I appreciate you. Honestly, I don't even remember saying it. I only know it happened because Mandy told me."

"You were concussed," Zelina said in an understanding tone. "I've had a concussion myself. I know how messed up it makes you. I didn't take any offense, believe me. I'm just glad you're healed up and back with us. Come here." She offered a hug, and Sonya embraced her.

"I love you, Zel, I want you to know that. Mandy and I both do."

"Absolutely," Mandy said. "You're such a good friend, and a valuable mentor. Like Sonya said, we appreciate you."

Releasing Sonya's embrace, Zelina gave one of her broadest smiles. "That means so much to me. I couldn't be happier to be working with you guys. And Sonya, I know we've chatted on the phone and I've already said this, but again, I'm so proud of what you did in that rumble match. It was a performance that should be remembered for a long time to come."

"Thank you," Sonya said humbly.

Sasha Banks approached the group and addressed them in an abrupt manner that they were not unaccustomed to from her. "About tonight, then. We'd better get together and work something out."

"Oh, uh, we haven't had a chance to look at the formats yet," Mandy said.

Sasha looked impatient, but she didn't snap at them. "Let me save you the trouble. At Takeover New York, it's going to be Bayley and I against the two of you."

"Oh, man!" Sonya cried in excitement, delighted to hear that the Golden Gloves were going to have their first ever Takeover match.

"Awesome!" Mandy said at the same time.

"Yeah, and we're working on the build tonight," Zelina said, apparently having read her format before Sonya and Mandy arrived. "As you know, last week Mandy lost to Bayley, but beat the crap out of her with a chair after the match at my instruction."

"Yep," Sonya acknowledged.

"The first episode we're taping tonight, I beat Mandy," Sasha said, sounding like she figured she was entitled to do so. "Afterwards, she goes after me with a chair. Bayley comes out for the save, then Sonya, you make your return and lay her out."

"Sounds good to me," Sonya said. As the conversation continued, she found herself wondering what kind of reaction she would receive when she came out. It would be the first time fans got to see her since her headline-making performance at the Royal Rumble. It would be interesting to see if they cheered her based on what she had done that night, or booed her because she was a heel.

Upon reflection, Sonya told herself that while cheers would be flattering, she was supposed to be a heel. Boos were what she needed to hear, and if she didn't get them initially, it was her job to make sure she changed that as soon as she possibly could.

* * *

After dominating a large portion of her match with Sasha Banks, Mandy Rose found herself locked in the Bank Statement, right in the middle of the ring.

Frantic, Zelina screamed into the ring and pounded on the apron, imploring Mandy to make it to the ropes.

Yelping in pain, with Mandy's hands locked together over her face, Mandy strained in an attempt to crawl across the canvas towards safety. But it was no use, the hold was locked in too well. Taking the only option she had, Mandy tapped out against Sasha's hands.

As the bell sounded and the fans cheered, Sasha released the hold and got up to celebrate her win.

Holding the side of her neck to sell the hold she had been in, Mandy rolled out under the bottom rope on the side of the ring where Zelina was standing.

Far from wanting to console her teammate, Zelina had lifted up the ring apron to search for a weapon. She produced a black steel chair and held it out towards Mandy. "Get back in there and make her pay," she ordered angrily, her words and furious expression captured by the cameraman who was getting a close up of them.

Mandy looked equally as angry after losing a match that she had been in control of. She snatched the chair without hesitation and re-entered the ring. Brandishing the chair, she started to sneak up on Banks, who was standing on the middle turnbuckle facing the crowd, arms raised in victory.

Seeing Mandy in the ring with a weapon, the crowd tried to warn Sasha to the danger behind her. But it was to no avail. Banks remained oblivious until the chair slammed into her back. Her music stopped playing, and she slumped from the ropes into the ring.

With the first blow dealt, Zelina now got into the ring, yelling instructions and encouragement to Mandy, who started hammering away with the chair, crashing it into Sasha's stomach and back as she rolled around in agony, doing her best to cover up against the attack.

The fans were booing the cowardly attack, but the boos abruptly changed to cheers. Bayley came sprinting down the short entrance ramp and slid into the ring. Zelina was first in the firing line, taking a clothesline. She quickly got back up, only to receive a dropkick.

Too late to save her manager from being attacked, Mandy instead prepared a swing with the chair. As Bayley got up from delivering the dropkick, Mandy swung the chair at her. With lightning quick reactions, Bayley raised a boot and succeeded in kicking the chair out of Mandy's hands.

Before Mandy could react to being disarmed, Bayley wrapped her arms around her in the positon to deliver her Bayley to Belly finishing move.

That was when Sonya was given the cue to run through the curtain. Running at full speed down the entrance ramp, she barely had a chance to take in the cheers that went up when the fans saw her for the first time since the Royal Rumble. How much of the reaction was due to her performance that night, or how much was due to the fact that she was making a return, she didn't know. What mattered was that she got them booing her as soon as possible. She didn't think it would take long.

Bayley delivered the Bayley to Belly to Mandy, taking her out of the equation. Zelina had rolled out to the floor, while Sasha lay out cold in one of the corners. Sonya slid into the ring and stood up, right behind Bayley as she got up from delivering her finisher.

"That's what you get!" Bayley shouted at Mandy, totally unaware that danger lurked right behind her.

Sonya pounced, wrapping an arm around Bayley's throat and locking in the Devil's Grip. To date, no one had ever escaped the brutal chokehold.

Flailing around, Bayley sold desperation perfectly as Sonya dragged her down to the mat, wrapping her legs around her victim to complete the entrapment. Sure enough, boos began to come from the fans.

Making it look like she was strangling the life out of her victim, Sonya appreciated the pathetic gasping sounds Bayley made as she acted like she was fading into unconsciousness. She really was a special talent Sonya thought, finding herself wondering how much longer she would be lucky enough to have Bayley to work with and learn from. Someone that talented, that experienced compared to everyone else in NXT, and someone as over with the fans as she was had to be heading to the main roster soon. Perhaps Hunter Helmsley would be getting a visit from Ms Bliss, the harbinger of call ups.

After about thirty seconds in the chokehold, Bayley had made a convincing job of completely passing out. Sonya relinquished the hold and got up, surveying the carnage around her as Mandy used the ropes to help her get up.

Commanding the centre of the ring, Sonya faced the hard camera and pointed to her hair, which was of course up in a ponytail. "I'm back! Hair's up, it's time to square up!" she shouted. A mixture of both cheers and boos came from the crowd.

With Mandy back on her feet, Zelina rolled back under the bottom rope into the ring, looking worse for wear. Nonetheless, both Sasha and Bayley were lying out cold in the ring. It was a significant moment of dominance for the Golden Gloves.

Looking satisfied with what she saw, Zelina assembled Sonya and Mandy for the now familiar Golden Gloves pose. "This right here is what we do!" Zelina yelled as Sonya and Mandy posed with their fists up, glaring eye to eye. It was an excellent way to end Sonya's return segment.


	32. Chapter 32

For the second time, Sonya and Mandy were on their way to volunteer a few hours of their time at Orlando Veterans Retreat. It had been a while since their first visit. Back then, work had still be in progress on the dorms, which Ember Moon had wanted built so that the veterans her charity took on had somewhere warm and dry to sleep at night. When Mandy had spoken to Ember and offered their time, she had been informed that the construction and fitting work was now completed.

"I can't wait to see how it all looks now," Sonya said as they neared their destination.

As was often the case, Mandy was in the driving seat. "Neither can I," she said. "I'm looking forward to seeing Ivory, too. That chat we had with her last time was quite something."

"Yes it was," Sonya agreed, thinking back to the couple of hours they had spent sitting at a table with Lisa Moretti, the former Special Forces operative code named Ivory. The thing that had come through most clearly was Ivory's desire not to be a charity case. Handouts were now what she wanted. What she hoped for was a chance to get her life back on track. In time, Orlando Veterans Retreat intended to offer exactly that kind of opportunity to the people they helped.

"Still looks the same from the outside," Mandy commented as the building came into sight.

"They could use a better sign out front," Sonya said, looking at the current one, which was small enough to miss entirely if you were driving past. Exactly that had almost happened the first time she and Mandy had visited.

"We could maybe donate some money for one?" Mandy suggested.

"That's not a bad idea. If we did, we could work it so that we could be here the day it gets put up, and we could get a picture with it. It might encourage fans to donate. Even if they only go a couple of bucks each, it would mount up."

"I'll speak to Ember about it," Mandy said. She pulled into the lot and parked up next to the couple of cars that were already there.

They got out of the car and Sonya waited for Mandy before heading for the building's entrance. "Just so you know, you're not getting me into washing dishes this time," she announced with a grin.

"That's no fun," Mandy grumbled. "But I'll let you off since you'll do them at home after dinner."

"Deal," Sonya said. "At least at home you can obsess over my rubber gloves to your heart's content."

Blushing, Mandy said nothing more as they walked over to the entrance.

Following her girlfriend through the door and into the dining area of the retreat, Sonya saw a few new faces. In addition to the people they had met on their previous visit, there were two more male veterans there, and another woman. The woman was sitting at a table talking to Ivory while they ate lunch. She had long black hair and looked to be a similar age to her dining partner. Looking up when they entered, Ivory gave them a wave, which Sonya returned while Mandy smiled.

"Ivory looks in better health," Mandy observed.

It was an understatement, and it applied to Jim Duggan and John Cena as well. They looked well fed, were dressed in better clothes and their hair was no longer greasy. Living at the retreat seemed to have taken five years off their appearances.

Another new face appeared at the serving hatch, having heard the door open and close. Sonya saw a blonde woman, maybe in her early forties, very attractive for her age. She was wearing a plastic apron, presumably having just finished serving the lunch that the veterans were currently digging into.

"Hi. You must be Sonya and Mandy," the blonde said warmly. "Ember told us you were coming to help out today."

Sonya and Mandy walked over to talk to her. "That's right," Sonya said. "I'm Sonya, and this is Mandy."

"I'm Torrie, nice to meet you. Ember said you've been before, so you don't need a tour of the place."

"We have been before, but we'd like to look around," Mandy said. "The dorms were still being constructed the first time we came."

While she was speaking, the man who had been working as a volunteer during their first visit walked over to the serving hatch. Sonya recalled his name. "Hello, Jordan. Good to see you again."

"Hi, Sonya, Mandy," Jordan said. "Come through and I'll show you around."

"Thanks," Mandy said. She led the way down the dining area and through the door that opened into a hallway with the kitchen on the right hand side of it and the entrances to the two dorms down at the far end.

Jordan came out of the kitchen to meet them. "Good of you to come today," he said. "More bodies will be good for the litter picking event this afternoon."

"We're happy to help," Sonya said. Ember had told them about the event, which would see the volunteers and veterans from the retreat head to downtown Orlando and pick up litter, while wearing t-shirts encouraging people to text donations to the dedicated number Ember had managed to set up for the charity. Sonya wasn't sure how effective a way it would be to raise funds, but she was happy to give it a go.

"Anything that gets money coming in for you guys," Mandy said. "How are things going with fundraising?"

"I don't know exact details, obviously that's Ember's responsibility. But from what I gather, it's continuing to go well. It helps a lot with her profile on TV of course. She's also had success getting some local companies involved. They donate in exchange for having their names put on our website."

"Sounds like she's doing an amazing job," Sonya said happily. "We saw some new faces out there," she added, gesturing in the direction of the dining area with her head.

Jordan nodded. "Remind me who was here last time you stopped by?"

"John, Jim and Ivory," Mandy said.

"Okay, so you've not met Victoria, Chavo or Steve. He's another ex-Special Forces guy, would you believe. His code name was Sting."

"Sting. Sounds menacing," Sonya said.

"I'm sure he was menacing for those who came up against him in combat. But he's a nice enough guy," Jordan said. With that, he started in the direction of the dorms.

"Looking forward to meeting them," Sonya said as they followed him down the hallway.

"They're good people. Chavo can be an oddball sometimes, but you get used to it," Jordan said. "He went out for a few hours the other day, then when he came back he was calling himself Kerwin White."

Mandy couldn't help laughing. "What? Kerwin White? What kind of name is that?"

Sonya made a cringing face at her girl, the kind of face that said, 'You shouldn't be saying what you're saying right now.'

Looking at her, Jordan didn't look impressed. "A lot of homeless people have mental health issues. It's something they need to be helped with, not laughed at about."

Mandy's cheeks went bright red, and for a moment she didn't know what to say. "I didn't mean any offense," she floundered. "I was laughing more at the name Kerwin White than anything else. I definitely wouldn't have laughed if Chavo was here. God, I feel awful now."

"No harm done," Jordan said, now that he had made his point. "Just be careful what you say around the guys."

"I will," Mandy assured him.

Moving on, Jordan briefly showed them around the two dorms. Sonya found them to be quite nice, and she was sure they were like heaven on earth to people who had been sleeping rough. Each person had a bed and a chest of drawers, the top of which they could use as a table of sorts. There was a shower room at the end of each dorm, something else the veterans would be incredibly thankful for.

"You have more beds than guests," Mandy observed, remembering the word Ember chose to use for the veterans registered with her shelter.

"There are a couple of applications in progress," Jordan said. "It won't be long before we're full."

"You're doing amazing work for these people," Sonya said with all seriousness.

Jordan nodded his appreciation. "We try our best."

* * *

An hour later, everyone from the retreat had walked the relatively short distance to one of the more popular city centre areas of Orlando. They were all wearing bright red t-shirts bearing the name of the charity and the number people could text to make a donation. They each had a large plastic garbage sack and a metal litter picking device.

As the group spread out to get to work, Sonya and Mandy found themselves working near to Victoria, who they hadn't had much of a chance to chat to yet since Torrie had made introductions back at the shelter.

"So, you guys are wrestlers?" Victoria asked as an ice breaker.

Sonya nodded. "We are." She figured saying that was how they knew Ember would have been stating the obvious a bit too much.

"You look too pretty for it," Victoria said to Mandy. "Not that you're not pretty," she quickly added to Sonya.

Mandy chuckled. It was far from the first time she had heard that comment. "You should see me throwing fists. I'm not so pretty then."

"Yes, girl! I love that!" Victoria cried. They spent a couple of minutes picking up litter before she continued the conversation. "I used to watch the WWF. I'm talking like twenty years ago, when it was Stone Cold and The Rock."

"That's awesome," Sonya said, thinking better of letting on that she hadn't been a wrestling fan going up. People understandably found it a strange thing to hear from a professional wrestler.

Victoria picked up a chocolate bar wrapper and deposited it in her garbage sack. "I lost touch with it at some point, but I'm sure I'd enjoy it if I got back into it."

"I saw you have a TV on the wall in the dining area at the retreat now," Mandy said. "You could put WWE shows on there."

Victoria laughed. "I think I might have an issue persuading the other guys on that one. What we have on every night is kind of a democratic decision."

"That makes sense," Sonya said with a smile. Then an idea occurred to her. "Hey, we have TV tapings in Orlando once a month, over at Full Sail University. Mandy and I could probably hook you up with free tickets if you wanted to come to a show one time?"

"That's a great idea!" Mandy exclaimed.

"That's really kind of you," Victoria said. "Could you get one for Ivory too? I feel like it's not something I could enjoy much by myself."

"Shouldn't be a problem," Mandy said. "We could possibly get you ringside seats, and maybe get you on camera and have the retreat mentioned on the show. It's up to you, but I think it might be a way to get some donations in."

Victoria visibly cringed. "I hate the idea of being on TV. But, having said that, I figure it's the least I can do if it helps to raise a bit of money. Ember, Jordan and everyone have been so good to us all."

"We'll try and sort something out and be in touch. We have a big event coming up soon, so it'll be after that."

"Sounds great, thank you," Victoria said. "What's the big event?"

Mandy handled the answer while Sonya picked up a plastic coffee cup and disposed of it. "It's called NXT Takeover: New York. We're going to have the biggest match of our careers as a team, so it's a huge deal for us."

"Then I wish you good luck," Victoria said. "I'm sure you'll do great."

"Thanks," Sonya said. There was a faraway look in her eyes as she thought ahead to everything that was coming up at Wrestlemania weekend. Axxess, Takeover, the Hall of Fame ceremony and Wrestlemania itself. What a week it promised to be!


	33. Chapter 33

Wrestlemania week was like nothing else on the WWE calendar. Starting Thursday morning, there were events every day up to and including Tuesday. By the end of it all, the landscape throughout the company would look a lot different. There would be title changes, NXT debutants on the main roster, and even a retirement, after Kurt Angle brought his legendary career to an end at Wrestlemania.

At the opposite end of the scale were Sonya and Mandy, who were just getting started in their careers, and were set to experience being a part of a Wrestlemania weekend for the first time.

"This is going to be a lot of fun," Sonya said to Mandy and Zelina. They were moments away from walking into the main hall of the convention centre where Wrestlemania Axxess was taking place. It would be Sonya and Mandy's first big meet and greet session. As was often the case, Zelina had more experience of the situation than them, but she was still looking forward to it.

A lot of fans flew in for Wrestlemania week on Thursday, arriving in the evening. For that reason, the Thursday Axxess session was the least popular, a relative term, and was therefore the one where some lesser known names were on the line up. The Golden Gloves were one such name, filling a two hour slot on the NXT stage.

"Only if somebody shows up in our line," Mandy said with a laugh.

Sonya knew that people would come to meet them, but the joke was worth a laugh nonetheless.

"Looks like it's time to go," Zelina said as the nearby double doors were opened, and wrestlers started filing through, mingling with the volunteers who were helping with staffing the event. "One day, people might be paying hundreds of bucks for VIP tickets to meet us."

That was worth another laugh from Sonya. "You never know, I guess," she replied, finding it doubtful.

The NXT stage was near the back of the hall, in the same corner as the door that the wrestlers entered from. That gave the Golden Gloves the shortest walk of anyone to reach their station for the next two hours.

Walking around the stage behind Mandy and Zelina, Sonya saw a short line waiting for them. The waiting area was maybe one fifth full, she estimated. One person she did spot was Sarita Lopez, her number one fan. She was fourth in line, presumably having run to the NXT stage as soon as she had been admitted. Sonya saw that she had another custom made t-shirt on. This time it said: Golden Gloves Takeover: New York, and had Sonya, Mandy and Zelina's faces on it. It would make a great collectible once it was signed by the three of them.

"Sonya!" Sarita shouted, waving at her favourite wrestler.

"I see you!" Sonya called, pointing and smiling.

Sarita had a girlfriend with her, and they both went crazy, hugging each other.

"That girl really loves you," Mandy said with a big grin as they climbed up the steps to the stage.

"Yeah, she does. But I'd make a bet you have more fans than me," Sonya replied.

Zelina laughed, casually chewing some gum. "Of course she has. She's much prettier than we are."

All three of them laughed. It was something of a running joke, which Mandy was used to taking in the way it was intended.

"We agreed we would stand, right?" Mandy said.

There was a long table for them to use, with three chairs behind it. But if they sat down, fans had to lean over the table for pictures, making the results not very good. Fans therefore appreciated it greatly when wrestlers opted to stand instead. The Golden Gloves wanted to do everything to gain more fan recognition and support, even though they were heels, so they had gone for the fan-friendly option.

"That's right," Sonya said. She put the three bottles of water she had brought out for them on the table, and with that they were ready to begin.

Only a few minutes later, it was Sarita's turn to come forward. She chose to do so separately from her friend, who waited for the next turn.

Sonya stepped forward to greet her fan, smiling broadly. "Hey! Thanks for coming! And look at that shirt! I love it."

"Oh my god, it's so good to meet you again!" Sarita cried, walking into Sonya's arms.

"That really is a cool shirt," Mandy said, happy to play second fiddle on this meet.

"Thank you," Sarita said over Sonya's shoulder. As they parted, her attention went back to her favourite. "I still can't believe how well you did at the rumble. I was sitting ringside, and I was screaming so much I lost my voice."

"I know you were there, I saw you," Sonya smiled.

"You did?" Sarita cried. "I didn't think you did."

"Not much gets by me," Sonya chuckled. "What do you say the three of us sign that shirt for you?"

"That would be awesome!"

Zelina already had a sharpie pen in hand, and as Sarita stretched out the shirt for her, she signed across her own image. "There you go."

"Thanks, Zelina," Sarita said happily.

Mandy went next, signing over her image, and then Sonya did the same, adding a couple of kisses and the date underneath her signature.

"Thank you, guys," Sarita beamed. "Do you mind if I get the picture just with Sonya?"

"Go ahead," Mandy said.

"Can we do the Golden Gloves pose?" Sarita asked Sonya.

"Sure." Sonya posed, facing her fan with her fists raised. Sarita copied her, and the volunteer in charge of taking pictures on fan's phones snapped the shot.

"Thanks again," Sarita said, delighted with her experience. "I'll see you at your next meet and greet, wherever that is."

"Enjoy the show tomorrow," Sonya said, referring to Takeover.

Sarita took her phone back from the guy who had taken her picture. "Of course! There's no way you guys aren't beating Sasha and Bayley."

"We're going to do our best," Zelina said. Naturally, they couldn't say anything that might allude to the result.

"Can't wait to see it," Sarita said, giving them a parting wave.

As she walked away, Sonya looked at Mandy. "It's so cool knowing you mean that much to a fan."

Mandy smiled, taking pleasure in seeing her girlfriend happy. "Let's hope she enjoys the show as much as the meet and greet.

* * *

This year, NXT Takeover had been moved to Friday night, with the Hall of Fame ceremony switching places to Saturday night. It was a change that Sonya had approved of, for the simple reason that it had left the Golden Gloves with less time to wait before their first match at a special event.

Second match on the card was hardly pride of place, but none of the Golden Gloves trio could have cared less. Being on the card for Takeover at all was a huge step up for them.

Out in the arena, Sasha Banks and Bayley were making their entrance together. Unsurprisingly, the raucous crowd was right behind them, giving them a loud ovation.

As she said her customary prayer before entering an arena, Sonya felt her stomach fluttering. God only knew how many people around the world were about to watch her perform, some of them no doubt seeing the Golden Gloves for the first time. It was such a massive opportunity for them to make a big name for themselves, particularly against such relatively experienced and established stars as Sasha and Bayley.

"Alright, let's do this," Mandy said when she heard their opponents music fading out. She was well and truly fired up for the match.

Zelina had her game face on. As soon as the Golden Gloves theme dropped, she led them through the curtain, shouting at them and gesticulating wildly to fire them up, in character as the motivator extraordinaire.

Sonya drank in the boos that had greeted their music, and were still coming their way. The Golden Gloves were strongly disliked for their cowardly ways and the brash attitude of their manager.

Walking to the ring, Sonya took advantage of a cameraman getting a close up shot of her. "Hairs up, time to square up!" she growled menacingly.

"And their opponents," Kayla Braxton announced, "Being accompanied by Zelina Vega, the Golden Gloves, Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville!"

All three Golden Gloves members entered the ring. With their opponents waiting in their corner, the trio struck their familiar pose.

At Zelina's instruction, Sonya stepped out onto the apron, leaving Mandy to start the match.

Bayley stepped forward for the opposition team, and the match got underway.

* * *

True to form, the Golden Gloves used nefarious means to keep the upper hand for most of the match. The numerical advantage that Zelina afforded them was particularly useful. Indeed, it was Zelina who caused Sasha to end up isolated in the ring, taking her out with an apron hurricanrana into the ring steps.

After being beaten down and almost defeated several times, Sasha was finally able to buy herself some time by hitting a meteora on Sonya, leaving them both down.

Suffering from the beating she had taken, Sasha desperately crawled across the ring towards her corner, where Bayley waiting for a tag with her arm outstretched.

In the opposite corner, Mandy was in a similar position, wanting to tag back in with enough time to prevent Sasha from getting her tag. It wasn't to be.

Sasha was actually the first to tag out, launching herself the final few feet to her partner. By the time Sonya tagged Mandy, Bayley was already entering the ring off the hot tag, with the fans roaring her on.

Rushing into the ring, Mandy received a clothesline, followed by a dropkick. Getting up in the corner of the ring, she was unable to avoid Bayley coming at her with a flying back elbow.

Sonya had been able to sit up. With the crowd cheering her on, Bayley ran at her and clotheslined her in the sitting position.

Rolling out of the ring, Sonya was met by Zelina. The Golden Gloves' manager was extremely concerned about the way things were going for her team.

Bayley sent Mandy over the top rope, landing near to Sonya and Zelina, who hurried to help her up. So busy were they trying to sort each other out, they didn't see that Sasha was back up.

Banks hit the ropes, sprinted across the ring and hurled herself through the gap between the middle one and the top one. She landed on all three Golden Gloves members, taking them all out.

On a roll, Sasha got straight up, hauled Zelina to her feet and hurled her into the ring steps with a loud crash.

Sonya knew that it was time for her part in the match to come to an end. Getting back to her feet, she got into a fist fight wish Sasha, which saw them gradually go up the entrance ramp and through the curtain to the back.

Once they were out of sight of the crowd, the fighting obviously stopped.

"Good match," Sonya breathlessly said to Sasha.

"Yeah," Sasha said indifferently, heading for the locker rooms.

Charming as ever, Sonya thought, shaking her head. Usually, hanging around in Gorilla was frowned upon, but Sonya knew no one would object on this occasion.

Watching on a monitor, she saw the finish already going down. Mandy rolled Bayley into a pinning predicament, getting a two count. Bayley countered for a pin of her own, also getting two. Mandy reversed, ending up sitting on Bayley and pinning her shoulders to the mat. Two fistfuls of tights ensured Mandy had more than enough leverage, unseen by the referee, who counted three.

Shocked, the fans booed loudly. They knew Bayley had been screwed over, having seen what the referee had missed.

Mandy wasn't hanging around in the ring to celebrate. She was happy to do it as she backed away up the aisle, laughing at the heist she had managed to pull. Zelina joined her, looking worse for wear, but delighted with the victory.

While the Golden Gloves made their exit, Bayley sat in the ring, looking mortified about losing. The fact that she had ended up in the ring alone after the match told a lot of the crowd that the rumours they had heard were true.

The Golden Gloves music stopped after Mandy and Zelina disappeared through the curtain, and the fans got to their feet as Bayley herself stood up, tears now streaming down her face.

"Oh, bless her," Sonya said in the back.

"So sad," Mandy said, tears in her eyes too. "I don't want her to leave NXT."

A 'Thank you, Bayley!' chant was thundering throughout the arena as Bayley applauded them in return, saying her final goodbye.

"It's sad, but don't worry," Zelina said. "We'll be seeing plenty of her down the road."


	34. Chapter 34

Attending the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony for the first time was something that Sonya was very much looking forward to. Although she likely wouldn't know who half of the people being inducted were, it was still a chance to get dressed up and have a good time with her colleagues. There was also the prospect of walking the red carpet with Mandy to look forward to. They didn't plan on coming out as a couple, but it would have been naïve to expect questions not to be asked when they showed up together, neither of them bringing a date.

That was a problem for later, though. Before they got that far, there was the lengthy process of getting ready. Unlike with other WWE events, the Glam Squad were not available. Luckily, Mandy had found someone who had been able to come to their room and glam them both up and do their hair.

With that done, they were ready to leave. Sonya had stepped into the bathroom to give herself a once over in the mirror. She had gone for a black dress with see through finishes that made it quite revealing in a classy way. Mandy had certainly approved when she had seen it for the first time.

For her part, Mandy had chosen a silver dress with a short skirt and a sleeveless top that showed off her cleavage beautifully. She looked so good that Sonya had toyed with the idea of saying to hell with the ceremony and staying in the room for a night of enjoyment of a much different kind. Sadly, their attendance was compulsory and the sex was going to have to wait until afterwards.

As happy as she was going to be with her appearance, Sonya walked back out into the room, finding Mandy rummaging around in her clutch as she made her own final preparations to leave.

"I think I'm all set," Sonya said. With nothing else to do while she waited, Sonya gravitated towards the mirror on the wall near to the corner of the room, giving herself a second final check over. "I'm ready to go when you are. I know they've got cars downstairs ready to drive everyone to the arena."

"There's one more thing I need to do first," Mandy said.

"Oh, what's that?" Sonya asked vaguely, pulling a stray blonde hair that she had spotted in the mirror off her dress.

No response came from Mandy. "I said what's that?" Sonya asked, turning around to investigate what was going on. Her mouth dropped open as she found Mandy on one knee with a ring case in her hand.

"I need to ask you to marry me," Mandy said. She opened the ring case, revealing a silver ring with a bright red diamond.

It was the most striking and gorgeous thing Sonya had ever seen. A marriage proposal was the last thing she had expected. She was totally shocked. They had never even talked about getting married. Now that Mandy was on one knee in front of her, though, Sonya knew that she wanted it as much as Mandy did. She felt herself tearing up at the amount of love she felt for her girl in that moment. There was no doubt in her mind that she wanted to spend her life with Mandy, and she had no hesitation to make that commitment to her. "Yes. Yes of course I'll marry you," Sonya said emotionally.

Mandy got up, looking relieved, and they embraced each other tightly. "I was honestly worried you might say no," she said quietly into Sonya's ear.

"I could never say no to you, Mandy Rose. I think you're supposed to put the ring on my finger now," Sonya added with a chuckle.

Mandy laughed, wiping a tear of delight from her eye as she stepped back. Sonya offered her hand, and the ring slid perfectly onto her finger.

"It's stunning, Mand. That diamond, just wow."

"I went for rose colour for the same reason as when I chose your necklace for Christmas."

Sonya had known that without needing to be told, but she smiled adoringly at the woman who was now her fiancée. "I need to buy you a ring now. Oh my god, we need to talk about which of us is going to take the other's name, if we're going to do that at all."

"I'd love to change my name to Amanda Deville. I've already thought about it," Mandy said without hesitation or doubt.

"Amanda Deville. I love that so much," Sonya said. She was so happy that she felt giddy. "Oh my god, we're going to the Hall of Fame and I have a ring on my finger. And I keep saying oh my god."

Mandy laughed. "I think that's understandable. I did just propose to you out of nowhere." Taking Sonya's hands, she turned serious. "As you can imagine, I've spent a lot of time running through how tonight might go in my head. I spent a lot of it panicking about what I'd do if you said no, as stupid as that probably sounds to you. But I also thought that maybe we might announce our engagement tonight. I love you more than I ever thought it was possible to love someone, and I'm not afraid to show that publically. If you'd prefer not to, that's fine too."

Sonya totally understood what Mandy was saying, and she felt the same way. Displaying her love for her partner was not something to be ashamed of, and anyone who thought it was could go to hell as far as she was concerned.

"Okay, let's do it," Sonya said, before leaning in for a kiss. "Whoever is doing the red carpet interviews, we'll go up to them and say we have some news, and I'll show them the ring."

Mandy kissed Sonya lightly on the lips. "I love you so much, you know that?"

"Yes, I think I do. I love you just as much."

Mandy bit her bottom lip for a second. "There is one more question. Does this mean I'm engaged to Daria as well?"

"Oh yes," Daria said, immediately making an appearance. "You already know you belong to Daria."

Lust filled Mandy's eyes for a moment, but Sonya switched back to her regular persona. "We'd really better think about moving, Mand. We don't want to be the last ones to arrive. Is my makeup okay? I might have shed a tear or two."

"You look perfect. Stunning," Mandy assured her.

"And so do you," Mandy said, giving her fiancée one more kiss on the lips.

"Thank you. Okay, future Mrs Deville, we'd better go."

After a final check that they had everything they needed, they hurried from the room.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Sonya and Mandy were ready for their walk on the red carpet at the Barclay's Centre. To their surprise, they had learned that it happened inside the arena, not outside as they had been expecting. They had both realised that they might have been better served to have watched the Hall of Fame ceremony last year instead of going out drinking.

"Any second thoughts?" Mandy asked just before they walked onto the red carpet, referring to their previously discussed plan to announce their engagement.

"None," Sonya said definitively. "You?"

"I say let's do it."

Mandy took Sonya's arm, and they walked slowly out into the arena. Cathy Kelley and Mike Rome were handling the red carpet interviews. Mike was busy with Hunter and Stephanie Helmsley, so it was Cathy who stepped forward to get a word with Sonya and Mandy.

"Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville, the Golden Gloves," the interviewer said warmly. "Good evening, ladies. This is your first Hall of Fame ceremony, I believe?"

"It is," Mandy said, smiling. "We're delighted to be here, Cathy."

"We have a bit of an announcement we'd like to make, if that's okay?" Sonya asked, deciding to waste no time.

"Uh, sure," Cathy said, doing her best not to sound confused or apprehensive while a live camera was filming them.

Sonya held up her hand to flash the engagement ring on her finger. "We've kept it secret, but Mandy and I have been in a relationship for a long time. Today, she asked me to marry her, and I said yes."

"Oh my god," Cathy cried. It was apparently the phrase for the day. "Congratulations to both of you. What lovely news that is. I'm so happy for you both. And that ring, it's gorgeous."

"Thanks, Cathy," Mandy said while Sonya nodded her agreement with the comment about the ring. "It's a big step for us to come out like this, but we wanted to share our happiness with the world."

"I'm sure everyone's as delighted for you as I am," Cathy beamed.

"That means a lot," Mandy said appreciatively.

"Can we get a kiss from the happy couple?" Cathy asked, unapologetically putting them on the spot in front of the camera.

Even so, neither Sonya nor Mandy hesitated in turning to face each other and sharing a gentle, loving kiss. Some of the fans in the arena happened to be paying attention, and a small cheer went up.

"Aww, you both look so happy. Have a great night," Cathy said, needing to move on to her next interview before a backlog was created.

"Thank you," Sonya said. Mandy took her arm once more and they walked over to where the wrestlers were seated. Each seat had a person's name on it, which meant that they now had the task of finding which seats were theirs.

It soon became apparent that the NXT roster had been located towards the back on the right hand side of the wrestler's area. Heading over there, Mandy spotted her name on a seat at the end of a row. "There we are," she said, pointing.

"Woah. Look who we're next to," Sonya said quietly. They approached their seats and smiled at the person she was going to be sitting beside for the night.

"Coach Purrazzo, hi," Mandy said, offering a smile.

Purrazzo seemed to have a different air about her outside of the Performance Centre. She greeted the new arrivals with the biggest smile Sonya had ever seen from her, and then gestured to the bearded man in a smart black suit who was sitting beside her. "Sonya, Mandy. This is my partner, Marty."

Greetings were exchanged, then Sonya and Mandy took their seats.

"I've heard quite a bit about the two of you," Marty said to them.

"Oh? That's probably not good," Sonya said with a laugh.

Coach Purrazzo studied them both for a moment. When she spoke, her words meant more to Sonya and Mandy than she could possibly have realised, especially as they came from such a strict teacher. "Don't be silly. I only have positive things to say about you guys. You're doing great in NXT, and you killed it last night at Takeover. You need start valuing your own abilities a lot more. You're not new recruits anymore, you're hot prospects."

END


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